- Date
- April 10, 1999, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4036EPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990410044749A
- Case key
- 46108
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control after encountering a dust-devil during landing rollout, resulting in a ground loop and collapse of the main landing gear. Factors include the dust-devil.
Analysis
The tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage when it ground-looped after landing off-airport. The pilot stated that he was landing on a north-south dirt road to the south. He stated that the winds were calm and the airplane rolled into a dust devil and directional control was lost. He said there were no ruts or ditches on the road. The pilot reported that all his flight experience was in tailwheel airplanes
Factual narrative
On April 10, 1999, approximately 1230 mountain daylight time, N4036E, a Piper PA-18, sustained substantial damage when it ground-looped after landing off-airport near Boulder, Montana. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. The flight, conducted in visual meteorological conditions, had originated at Bozeman, Montana. There was no flight plan filed for the flight, and no report of the ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that he was landing on a north-south dirt road to the south, near the Carey ranch, southeast of Boulder. He stated that the winds were calm and the airplane rolled into a dust devil and directional control was lost. He said there were no ruts or ditches on the road. The pilot reported that all his flight experience was in tailwheel airplanes, and did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4036E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809002
- Airframe hours
- 4,207
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald M. Gaston
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 11, 1998 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- BZN · Bozeman, MT
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,152 total · 19 in this make and model · 4,152 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N4036E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.