Piper PA 18 accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, March 2, 2015
On March 2, 2015 at about 10:25 pm local time, a 1951 Piper PA 18, registered N37WP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Murfreesboro Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a ground-loop and the left wing dragging the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2015 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee · Murfreesboro Municipal 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, built 1951 · all PA 18s on the register
- Registration
- N37WP · registry record · serial 18-756
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight in a tailwheel equipped airplane, the student pilot and flight instructor planned to stay in the traffic pattern for touch and go landing practice. During the landing rollout, the airplane started drifting to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the student pilot applied a hard correction to the right with the rudder pedals and the airplane ground looped, stopping 180 degrees from the landing direction. The flight instructor stated that he called for "my aircraft" when the student pilot made the hard correction, but the student pilot did not get off rudder pedals. Both the student pilot and flight instructor suspected that inadvertent brake application may have been applied in the heel brake equipped airplane. The flight instructor added that he did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and the winds were light during the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the left wing.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,559 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 10,253 as pilot in command; 2,851 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 20, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 11 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,776.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2014; 108 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 B2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Murfreesboro Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MBT Murfreesboro TN at 10:22 pm
- Destination: MBT Murfreesboro TN
- Runway 36, 3,898 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from MQY, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on July 28, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (Flight Instructor) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation (Student Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1 – Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2 – Left Aileron (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N37WP 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.