NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA98LA036
Registry · N4835H
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-17
Year of manufacture
1948 · 50 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570912
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A5F6CD
Registrant of record
BUCK TRAVIS W
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Factual narrative
On February 15, 1998, at 1417 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-17, N4835H, sustained substantial damage during a ground loop after landing at Bozeman, Montana. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the local flight. No flight plan was filed, and there was no report of an ELT actuating. FAA inspectors reported finding no evidence of preexisting mechanical discrepancies that could have led to the accident. The pilot stated that he "got behind and ground-looped." The tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage when the pilot lost directional control during takeoff and ground looped. Winds were calm at the time. The pilot stated that he 'got behind [it] and ground-looped.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1998_SEA98LA036.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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