NTSB DEN89LA114 — 1989-05-03 · BOZEMAN, Montana, United States

Current FAA registration · N9858D

Make / Model: PIPER PA-18A 150
Year of manufacture: 1959 · 30 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19680815
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ADC12B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N9858D Piper PA-18-150 Minor

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT WHICH LED TO HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: USE OF AN UNFAVORABLE RUNWAY, CROSSWIND, AND GUSTS.

Factual narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PLT, WHEN HE ARRIVED IN THE AREA OF THE ARPT, HE CONTACTED THE FLT SVC STATION (FSS) & WAS ADVISED THAT RWY 30 (A 9002' ASPHALT RWY) WAS ACTIVE & THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 210 DEG AT 10, GUSTING 15 KTS. THE ARPT ALSO HAD A TURF RWY (RWY 3/21) WHICH WAS 3400' LONG. THE PLT STATED THAT DRG TOUCHED DOWN ON RWY 30, A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE LEFT WING & THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. HE APPLIED POWER, BUT THE RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND & THE ACFT CARTWHEELED. SHORTLY AFTER COMING TO REST, IT BEGAN BURNING & WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89LA114.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.