Event DEN89LA148

1989-06-26 DURANGO, Colorado, United States Airport · CD82 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N4137Z

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

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

Registrant of record

ATG ENTERPRISES INC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4137Z Piper PA-18-150 None

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 ↗.

Beyond the agency record

Search this event elsewhere.

Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.

TallyAero Live Wire Aviation press

Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.

NTSB CAROL Agency ↗

Official agency record + docket.

NTSB Docket Agency ↗

Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.

Aviation Safety Network Aviation press ↗

Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).

Kathryn's Report Aviation press ↗

Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.

Aviation Herald Aviation press ↗

Gold-standard aviation incident blog.