Piper PA-18-150 accident near Brook Park, Minnesota, April 4, 2010
On April 4, 2010, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7884D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Brook Park, Minnesota (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout in variable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2010
- Place
- Brook Park, Minnesota · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7884D · registry record · serial 18-6044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after a normal touchdown the airplane drifted toward the right side of the runway. He attempted to correct for the right drift with a left rudder input, but the wind suddenly changed direction and the airplane veered to the left. He applied full brakes to stop the airplane from leaving the runway, but in the process the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, both wings, and cabin structure were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. About 4 minutes before the accident, a local weather station reported that the prevailing wind was out of the southwest at 4 knots. About 16 minutes after the accident, the same weather station reported that the wind speed had increased to 8 knots, with 14 knot wind gusts.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 838 hours in all; 249 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 710 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Brook Park MN at 11:50 pm
- Destination: PVT Brook Park MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 1,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N7884D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.