Piper PA18 accident near Big Flats, New York, October 10, 2019
On October 10, 2019 at about 9:45 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA18, registered N4138Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Big Flats, New York. It was a ferry 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 improper flight planning and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from wires during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2019 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Big Flats, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1964 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N4138Z · registry record · serial 18-8210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, before takeoff from an off-airport grass field, he consulted his mentor on best practices to takeoff and avoid obstacles. During the takeoff roll, he realized that the planned flightpath was "risky," so he "made a ground track deviation." Subsequently, the left wing struck a guy wire and folded back, and the right wing struck another guy wire. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; instructor: gyroplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 697 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 519 as pilot in command; 21 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,699.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A4M (piston); 343 hours total
- Operator: Harris Hill Soaring Corp
The flight
- Departed from: Big Flats NY at 9:45 pm
- Destination: 4NY8 Elmira NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KELM, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on December 5, 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 |
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.