- Date
- May 30, 2016, 10:26 local (16:26 UTC)
- Place
- Laurel, MT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41553Piper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160530007849A
- Case key
- 93272
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 the landing touchdown, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the both wings.
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
According to the pilot, during the landing touchdown, a gust of wind lifted the airplane's right wing and forced the airplane to the left side of runway 32. The pilot reported that he overcompensated with right rudder and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions with any portion of the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations. The meteorological aerodrome report at the nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was about 11 miles northeast reported: 310353Z 07005KTS 10SM FEW075 FEW150 SCT200 11/02 A3013 RMK AO2
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the landing touchdown, a gust of wind lifted the airplane's right wing and forced the airplane to the left side of runway 32. The pilot reported that he overcompensated with right rudder and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions with any portion of the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations. The meteorological aerodrome report at the nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was about 11 miles northeast reported: 310353Z 07005KTS 10SM FEW075 FEW150 SCT200 11/02 A3013 RMK AO2
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41553
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1809067
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 976
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tri-W Inc.
- Registered owner
- Tri-W Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 2015
- Departed
- 6S8 · Laurel, MT
- Destination
- 6S8 · Laurel, MT
- Airport
- 6S8 · Laurel Municipal, runway 32, 2,725 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 16 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KBIL, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.