Piper PA18 accident near Osceola, Wisconsin, July 14, 2019
On July 14, 2019 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA18, registered N6983B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Osceola, Wisconsin (L O Simenstad Muni 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 failure of the right horizontal stabilizer during takeoff, resulting in a loss of control and forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the installation of an unapproved stabilizer frame and failure of maintenance personnel to identify deterioration of the stabilizer during routine maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2019 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Osceola, Wisconsin · L O Simenstad Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1956 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N6983B · registry record · serial 18-5105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon takeoff, the pilot heard a “bang” and could not control the airplane. The pilot was able to get the wings level before the airplane hit the ground. The airplane bounced, went through a ditch, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage. Examination of the airplane revealed a broken attachment fitting of the right horizontal stabilizer. The fabric covering was removed from the right and left stabilizers. The attachment corner of the right stabilizer frame was fractured. Pitting, multiple broken welds, and corrosion were found around the fracture. The right stabilizer frame had been fabricated and was not a Federal Aviation Adminstration/parts manufacturer approval-approved part. Maintenance records revealed that the stabilizer assembly had been removed for inspection, refurbished, and replaced multiple times. The most recent maintenance was performed about 4 months prior to the accident, when an annual inspection was completed and new sleeves for the forward attachment points were fabricated and installed on the stabilizer assembly.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Horizontal stabilizer › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Unauthorized maint/repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2019; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 5,050 hours total
- Operator: Red Wing Soaring Association
The flight
- Departed from: OEO Osceola WI at 6:15 pm
- Destination: OEO Osceola WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 2,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from OEO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN19LA224 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Stabilizer Examination Findings CEN19LA224 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record Maintenance Logbook Review CEN19LA224 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.