- Date
- July 2, 2025, 11:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brush, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7635HPiper PA12
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250702007429A
- Case key
- 200472
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while performing a touch and go landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot flew to the airport to perform a touch and go landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, and the airfield’s windsock showed a southwest wind at 5 to 7 knots. He chose runway 25 and increased his landing speed due to rough air during the approach. He flew the airplane down to a 3-point landing on the runway. After landing, the wind shifted from the south and the airplane drifted to the right, so the pilot applied left rudder to correct. He added power to increase rudder effectiveness and attempted to takeoff. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane as it entered a ground loop. He attempted to regain control of the airplane, but it departed the left side of the runway, went over an embankment. The airplane became airborne, stalled, and impacted the terrain. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7635H
- Reported as
- Piper PA12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-510
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Obrien Kenneth J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 2025
- Departed
- KSNY · Sidney, NE
- Destination
- KEIK · Erie, CO
- Airport
- 7V5 · Brush Muni, runway 25, 4,300 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 167 total · 25 in this make and model · 115 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KFMM, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KFMM 021755Z AUTO VRB05KT 10SM CLR 30/14 A3006 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.