- Date
- June 23, 2026, 09:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Dixie, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3013MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260623007739A
- Case key
- 203246
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 delayed decision to initiate a go-around and subsequent failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain.
Findings · 6
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 final approach to a runway in mountainous terrain, the airplane was high. He made a right 360° turn to descend quickly before entering the base leg for . The pilot continued the approach, and the airplane floated down the runway. When he realized that the airplane would not be able to stop on the remaining runway, he initiated a go-around. The pilot was unable to maintain clearance from the rising terrain beyond the runway and maneuvered to avoid obstacles before intentionally landing the airplane on a rocky hillside, where the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3013M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1573
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 5,871.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 2025
- Departed
- MYL · McCall, ID
- Destination
- C48 · Dixie, ID
- Airport
- C48 · Wilson Bar USFS Airport, runway 24, 1,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 15, 2025
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 24,284 total · 81 in this make and model · 15,800 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 7.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- MYL, 40 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMYL 231451Z AUTO 19003KT 10SM CLR 14/04 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP188 T01390039 51004 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.
Other investigations on N3013M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.