- Date
- October 13, 1991, 12:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Telluride, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4488ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911013046109A
- Case key
- 18176
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 flying the aircraft at a height above ground level which was inadequate for recovery from an encounter with down drafts. A factor was: down draft encounter.
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 aircraft was circling at approximately 12,500 feet MSL and approximately 400 feet AGL. Downdrafts were encountered and the pilot could not maintain altitude. He elected to land in a meadow. During landing roll, the aircraft nosed over in the soft terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4488Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8843
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher Carroll
- Departed
- MTJ · Montrose, CO
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
- 46
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 4,429 total · 200 in this make and model · 3,731 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4488Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.