Piper PA18-150 accident near Holbrook, Arizona, March 29, 2001
On March 29, 2001 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA18-150, registered N9299D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Holbrook, Arizona (Holbrook Municipal 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
Failure of the rudder lower hinge attach point resulting in a loss of rudder control and steerable tailwheel control. A factor was the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2001 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Holbrook, Arizona · Holbrook Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18-150 · all PA18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9299D · no longer on the register · serial 18-660600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost directional control after landing and the airplane veered off the runway to the right coming to rest on the nose. He reported a left crosswind of about 10 knots. The pilot also reported that the lower rudder hinge point had separated from the vertical tail post. The steerable tail wheel is attached to the rudder horns near that hinge. As a result of the failure of the lower rudder hinge point, both rudder control and tail wheel steering were lost, resulting in the pilot's inability to maintain direction control.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 485 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,577 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 2001; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A3P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BXK Buckeye AZ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: P14 Holbrook AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,740 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N9299D 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.