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WPR20CA214

2020-07-06 · Marion, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MT53

Current FAA registration · N60733

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18A-135
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20030407
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7E41D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a fence.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was landing in gusty wind conditions, and he lost control of the airplane when the tailwheel lifted off of the ground. She added engine power, but then immediately reduced power due to the airplane drifting. The airplane subsequently departed the runway surface and collided with a fence. The airplane's left wing and forward fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Not specified

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR20CA214.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.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers