- Date
- April 22, 1982, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Savage, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N55WPPiper PA-18-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 22, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820422013769A
- Case key
- 72558
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after takeoff, he remained at about 100 ft AGL and proceeded toward Savage, MT. He said he intended to fly over his partner's farm near Savage. Nearly 20 minutes after takeoff, a loss of engine RPM was noted as the pilot approached his partner's farm. He applied carburetor heat and made a full-flap landing to the south on an elevated roadway beside an irrigation ditch. During touchdown, he noticed the engine power was returning; however, he continued the landing. The pilot reported that after he had slowed, a gust of wind lifted the right wing and the aircraft overturned. He estimated that the wind was gusting to 20 knots. The temperature was about 78 degrees, but the dew point was not determined. The pilot suspected carburetor ice, but this was not verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55WP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188271
- Airframe hours
- 4,548
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Byron Sunwall/Craig Seeve
- Registered owner
- Byron Sunwall/Craig Seeve
- Departed
- SDY · Sidney, MT
- Destination
- SDY · Sidney, MT
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,556 total · 261 in this make and model · 1,361 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 172 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ISN, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.