Piper PA18 accident near New Meadows, Idaho, September 17, 2019
On September 17, 2019 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA18, registered N6741L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near New Meadows, Idaho (New Meadows 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 pilot receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a gusting, right quartering headwind, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2019 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- New Meadows, Idaho · New Meadows · 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 1974 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N6741L · registry record · serial 18-7409121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during a touch-and-go takeoff from a grass strip with the pilot receiving instruction on the controls, the airplane veered left, and the tail lifted. The instructor applied right rudder, but the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
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 Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,100 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 14,480 as pilot in command; 9,850 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 5, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,561 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 6,561 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Aviation Corp
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 8:25 pm
- Destination: MYL Mccall ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 2,400 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KMYL, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 N6741L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA19CA584.