Piper PA18 accident near Cody, Wyoming, May 25, 2019
On May 25, 2019 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA18, registered N997CC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Cody, Wyoming (Yellowstone Rgnl 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 improper landing flare in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent loss of airplane control after overcorrecting with rudder. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2019 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cody, Wyoming · Yellowstone Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 2000 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N997CC · registry record · serial 9915CC
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the instructional flight, he was practicing stop-and-go landings. On his second landing, while on short final, the glidepath was lower than normal, and he increased the power setting to extend the glide. After the airplane crossed the runway threshold, he flared slightly high and leveled the airplane to keep it from sinking too fast. The airplane bounced slightly on touchdown, and he overcorrected with rudder inputs due to a crosswind. The airplane rolled forward, and the tail began to rise. The flight instructor reported that, at this point, he took over control of the airplane and applied back stick pressure; however, the airflow was too slow over the elevator flight control surface to have effect, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The left-wing lift strut and rudder were substantially damaged. The student and instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › 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
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,167 hours in all; 215 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 8,036 as pilot in command; 3,837 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 5, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,370 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 1,370 hours total
- Operator: Hoodoo Land Holdings LLC
The flight
- Departed from: COD Cody WY at 3:30 pm
- Destination: COD Cody WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 8,268 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KCOD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2020. 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 (Student Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Flight Instructor) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident 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.
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.