Piper PA-18-150 accident near Boulder, Colorado, July 1, 1999
On July 1, 1999 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4785F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Municipal Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 control of the aircraft during landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 1999 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4785F · registry record · serial 18-7906
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed the airport with a glider in tow. After the glider was released, she returned for landing. She made a 'smooth wheel landing with no bounces,' and the aircraft rolled 'straight and smoothly' on the two main wheels. She felt the tail of the airplane begin to rise, and she pulled back on the stick, but stated that she was unable to get a response from the elevator. The aircraft continued to roll forward until the spinner impacted the pavement. The airplane then nosed over onto its back. The wind was calm during landing. In a telephone interview with the pilot shortly after the accident, she stated that the aircraft's wheels touched down twice on the runway prior to the third actual touchdown. Following the accident, a functional test of the elevator control system was performed. The elevator operated effectively, and no abnormalities or discrepancies were observed.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 546 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 430 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1999; 158 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from BJC, 9 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 N4785F 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.