Piper PA-18-150 accident near Telluride, Colorado, September 30, 1999
On September 30, 1999 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N3799Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Telluride, Colorado (Telluride Regional 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
An encounter with a sudden tailwind gust windshift during landing roll, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1999 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Telluride, Colorado · Telluride Regional · 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
- N3799Z · registry record · serial 18-4795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to takeoff from Montrose, Colorado, the pilot called Telluride airport, located 33.3 nm to the south, and asked an airport employee what the weather conditions were. He was advised the wind was calm. Prior to landing at Telluride, he listened to the airport's ASOS, and again the wind was calm. He then confirmed that with the airport's windsock. Touchdown and initial rollout on runway 09 were normal; however, after the aircraft's tail was lowered onto the runway, the airplane encountered a tailwind gust and ground looped. When the pilot exited the aircraft, he noted that the winds were out of the west. There is no recorded weather reporting facility at Telluride airport. The closest weather facility is located at Montrose. At 1053, the winds were reported from 290 degrees at 6 knots. According to the FAA's Airport/Facility Directory, all landings at Telluride should be performed on runway 09 to avoid populated areas.
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: 350 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,076 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 14, 1999; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ Montrose CO at 5:00 pm
- Destination: TEX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 6,870 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MTJ, 1 miles away
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.