- Date
- March 16, 2015, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4785FPiper PA18 - 150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150316003149A
- Case key
- 90898
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 loss of directional control during a bounced landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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
While conducting a flight to practice landings in a tailwheel equipped airplane, the pilot made an approach to the runway. During the landing, the airplane touched down on the runway and bounced. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane as it touched down several times. The airplane exited the right side of the runway onto the grass and the left wing struck an embankment. A postaccident examination revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
While conducting a flight to practice landings in a tailwheel equipped airplane, the pilot made an approach to the runway. During the landing, the airplane touched down on the runway and bounced. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane as it touched down several times. The airplane exited the right side of the runway onto the grass and the left wing struck an embankment. A postaccident examination revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4785F
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 - 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7906
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 14,829
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Soaring Society of Boulder Inc
- Registered owner
- Soaring Society of Boulder Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2014
- Departed
- KBDU · Boulder, CO
- Destination
- KBDU · Boulder, CO
- Airport
- KBDU · Boulder Municipal, runway 08, 4,100 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 5, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 621 total · 31 in this make and model · 477 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KBDU
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.
Other investigations on N4785F · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.