Piper PA-18-135 accident near Steubenville, Ohio, July 11, 2006
On July 11, 2006 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9841Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Steubenville, Ohio. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the unmarked power line which resulted in the subsequent impact with the roadway. Factors were the unmarked power line, and the low altitude at which the flight was conducted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2006 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Steubenville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9841Q · no longer on the register · serial 18-3519
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted power lines and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest on a highway that runs through an east-west gap in a line of small mountains. Power lines cross this gap approximately perpendicular to the roadway and were strung between towers on ridges on either side of the road. The towers stood about 80 feet tall and the ridges were about 380 feet above the roadway. The power line that was struck was not the uppermost wire and was about 243 feet above the road. The power lines were not marked with high visibility devices, nor were the towers lighted. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying at a low altitude along the roadway and then striking the power lines. The fuel selector valve was positioned for the left fuel tank. Both fuel tanks were found to be empty. The left fuel tank was damaged but not ruptured, and the right fuel tank was ruptured. A fuel odor was present at the accident site and fuel consumption calculations predicted that the fuel used for the flight would not have exceeded the capacity of the selected fuel tank. No preimpact anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, its engine, or systems.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 661 hours in all; 72 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,466 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDZ Toledo OH at 1:30 pm
- Destination: AGC Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from HLG, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N9841Q 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.