Piper PA-18-135 accident near Boulder, Colorado, July 25, 1989
On July 25, 1989 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9967Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO THE WING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1989 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder · 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 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9967Q · registry record · serial 18-4012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD HE MADE A WHEEL LANDING ON RWY 8 WITH WINDS THAT HE ESTIMATED WERE LIGHT & VARIABLE. HE SAID THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PLANE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE SWERVE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND BETWEEN THE RWY & TWY. DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS BENT & THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE PLANE TO THE HANGAR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dakota Ridge Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 3V5 Fort Collins CO at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 1V5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.
Other NTSB records under N9967Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 DEN89LA179.