Piper PA-18-150 accident near Ukiah, California, June 30, 1986
On June 30, 1986 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N2406J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ukiah, California (Ukiah airport). It was a business 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1986 · about 9:05 pm local time · cases in 1986
- Place
- Ukiah, California · Ukiah · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2406J · registry record · serial 18-7909119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIPER PA-18-150 ENCOUNTERED TURBULENT WIND CONDITIONS AND DRAGGED THE LEFT WING DURING A TAKEOFF GROUND RUN FROM RWY 33. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN, THE RIGHT WING LIFTED CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO DRAG ON THE RWY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RWY. THE FSS (LOCATED ON THE ARPT) REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WINDS WERE FROM 260 DEG AT 7 KTS. SEVERAL 'DUST DEVILS' WERE OBSERVED IN THE AREA DURING THE DAY, BUT NONE WERE OBSERVED ON THE ARPT. THE PLT ALSO INDICATED THAT HE RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS AWARE OF THE REPORTED WEATHER PHENOMENA.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,680 hours in all; 10,400 in this make and model; 245 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,484 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 29, 1986; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UKI Ukiah CA at 9:05 pm
- Destination: SAC Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:05 pm from UKI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N2406J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2406J on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A 9 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ukiah Municipal · nearest airport
- Sacramento Executive · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,098 in the last ten years
- California 27,686 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N2406J 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX86LA274.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.