Piper PA-18 accident near Orlando, Florida, June 29, 2006
On June 29, 2006 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7601P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida (Orlando Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a on-ground encounter with the runway, and subsequent nose over. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2006 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Orlando Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N7601P · registry record · serial 18-7792
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was landing a tundra tire-equipped airplane on an asphalt surfaced runway during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight with a 5 knot wind from the right. During the landing roll, the airplane abruptly veered to the right, and the pilot applied left rudder. The airplane then veered abruptly to the left. He applied engine power to straighten the airplane, and it lifted off the runway. The pilot landed the airplane, and it once again veered abruptly to the right. Upon application of left rudder, the airplane sharply veered left, and nosed over on the runway. The airplane received damage to the wings, the wing lift struts, the vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot said that the wind conditions were not sufficient to have produced the abrupt heading changes that he experienced. He reported that a mechanic examined the tailwheel and found that it possibly was binding. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that an examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,835 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,835 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KORL Orlando FL at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KORL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC06LA081.