Piper PA-18-150 accident near Bullfrog, Utah, November 2, 1999
On November 2, 1999 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4285Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bullfrog, Utah (Bullfrog Basin 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-in-command's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during landing roll. Factors were the pilot's lack of total experience in type of aircraft and the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 1999 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bullfrog, Utah · Bullfrog Basin 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 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4285Z · registry record · serial 18-8534
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot's landing on runway 19 was normal and the wind was calm. During landing roll, the aircraft departed the runway to the right, traveled down a 10 degree embankment and struck a fence. The pilot said he applied left rudder pressure without effect. According to an FAA inspector who interviewed the pilot following the accident, the pilot told him that he may have inadvertently applied pressure to the rudder pedal rather than to the brake. A functional test of the rudder and brake system was performed and no discrepancies were noted. The pilot had accumulated a total of 7 hours in the PA-18-150, 2 of which were as pilot-in-command. He had received his tailwheel endorsement on the day of the accident.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,085 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 935 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 1999; 119 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNY Moab UT at 9:45 pm
- Destination: U07
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 3,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.