- Date
- April 18, 2021, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wilsall, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N83359Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210418008469A
- Case key
- 102938
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind.
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
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while conducting a wheel landing on a grass runway with a direct crosswind, as the tailwheel settled onto the ground, the airplane veered right. He attempted to correct by applying left brake. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the right, substantially damaging the left wing and elevator when they impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no pre accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83359
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7609099
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 4,560
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 2020 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 9U1 · Wilsall, runway 19, 3,100 × 78 ft, grass/turf
- 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 432 total · 66 in this make and model · 432 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KBZM, 25 nm away
- METAR
- SA 18/04/2021 17:56-> METAR KBZN 181756Z VRB06KT 10SM CLR 15/M04 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP190 T01501044 10156 21050 58020=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2021, 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.