- Date
- August 19, 2024, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Island Park, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9166TPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA report
- 20240819016529A
- Case key
- 194954
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
A loss of lateral control during takeoff due to an accumulation of water in the right wing.
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 reported that during takeoff, upon leaving the ground, the airplane abruptly rolled to the right. The pilot attempted to correct this by applying full left aileron and rudder inputs, but the airplane did not respond. Subsequently, the right wing tip impacted the ground, followed by the nose of the airplane resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. After the accident, water was observed draining from the interior of the right wing around the wing root. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, the airplane had been exposed to heavy rainfall the night prior to the accident. He further noted that water had accumulated in the wing prior to takeoff and that he had no means to detect or remove the water before takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9166T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7909065
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 1,929.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PRIV · Island Park, ID
- Destination
- KIDA · Idaho Falls, ID
- Airport
- PRIV · Island Park, Idaho, runway 36, 3,125 × 50 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KDIJ, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KDIJ 200356Z AUTO 11006KT 10SM CLR 17/08 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP189 T01720083 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.