Piper PA-18-150 accident near Brush, Colorado, January 17, 2023
On January 17, 2023 at about 2:44 pm local time, a 1989 Piper PA-18-150, registered N41529, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Brush, Colorado (Brush Municipal Airport). It was an other work-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 the landing roll with strong gusty surface winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2023 · about 2:44 pm local time
- Place
- Brush, Colorado · Brush Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1989 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N41529 · registry record · serial 1809036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tail wheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, when the airplane was slowed to taxi speed, it began to drift left. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane and it exited the runway to the left. During the runway excursion, the airplane entered a snow-covered field adjacent to the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing struts and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 25 with wind variable at 20-25 knots, gusting to 35 knots.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion 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 › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, remote
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 26, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,825 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 2,167 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAKO Akron CO at 11:55 am
- Destination: KLHX La Junta CO
- Runway 07/2, 4,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 2970.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from KFMM, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SA 17/01/2023 22:15->METAR KFMM 172215Z AUTO 08011KT 6SM BR OVC006 M02/M02 A2970 RMK AO2 SA 17/01/2023 21:55->METAR KFMM 172155Z AUTO 07011KT 7SM OVC007 M02/M02 A2968 RMK AO2 SA 17/01/2023 21:35->METAR KFMM 172135Z AUTO 08010KT 7SM OVC008 M02/M02 A2969 RMK AO2
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 March 2, 2023. 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, 4 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.