Tubbs S/Performance Air Inc PA-18-225 accident near Denver, Colorado, April 16, 2019
On April 16, 2019 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2005 Tubbs S/Performance Air Inc PA-18-225, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N755K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Denver, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was a personal flight 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 directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2019 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Tubbs S/Performance Air Inc PA-18-225, built 2005, amateur-built
- Registration
- N755K · registry record · serial PA 0105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he made a three-point landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered left, and he corrected with right rudder and right brake. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the right, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,234 hours in all; 491 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 4, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 624.8 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 625 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 4:00 pm
- Destination: APA Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 am from KAPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2019. 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 | Photo | 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 N755K 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.