Piper PA-18-135 accident near Walker, Minnesota, July 1, 2022
On July 1, 2022 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1953 Piper PA-18-135, registered N1136, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Walker, Minnesota (Walker Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2022 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Walker, Minnesota · Walker Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135, built 1953 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1136 · registry record · serial 18-4041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during landing, the upwind wing raised, and power was applied for a go-around. The nose was lowered, and aileron was applied into the wind, but there was insufficient airspeed to sustain flight. The airplane settled and contacted a drainage ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,675 hours in all; 220 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 9,420 as pilot in command; 2,660 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 28, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 470 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 445 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,642 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5MN1 Nary MN at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,220 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from KBJI, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBJI 011515Z AUTO 29010KT 10SM CLR 20/09 A2997 RMK AO2 T01960087
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | 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.
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 CEN22LA295.