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DEN89LA148

1989-06-26 · DURANGO, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CD82

Current FAA registration · N4137Z

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-150
Year of manufacture
1964 · 25 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4E2AA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUNDLOOP/SWERVE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITION.

Factual narrative

DURING A GLIDER TOW FLT, THE PLT TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH. AFTER RELEASING THE GLIDER, HE RETURNED & LANDED TO THE NORTH WITH A 5 KT QUARTERING TAILWIND. AS HE WAS LANDING, THE ACFT VEERED RIGHT. THE PLT OVERCORRECTED TO THE LEFT & THE PLANE TURNED SHARPLY LEFT, THEN THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND & WAS DAMAGED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89LA148.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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