Piper PA-12 accident near Erie, Colorado, March 17, 2021
On March 17, 2021 at about 4:55 pm local time, a 1947 Piper PA-12, registered N2849M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Erie, Colorado (Erie Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 a full-stop landing, resulting in a runway excursion and impact with a snow berm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2021 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Erie Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 NO SERIES, built 1947 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2849M · registry record · serial 12-1402
- 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 while making a full-stop landing following a local flight in his tailwheel-equipped airplane and slowing on the runway centerline, the airplane began drifting to the left toward a snow berm on the edge of the runway. The pilot added power as the left main landing gear tire contacted the snow. The airplane slid into the berm and came to rest in about 8-12 inches of snow. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 14,500 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,926 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 2020; 66.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 1,993 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KEIK
Weather report (METAR): KEIK 171655Z AUTO 00000KT 7SM SCT090 01/M02 RMK AO2 T00141018 PWINO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2021. 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 CEN21LA159 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN21LA159 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2849M 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.