Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Tucson, Arizona, January 10, 1999
On January 10, 1999 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N8980D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson International 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 inadvertent activation of the right heel brake on the conventional geared aircraft, which resulted in a loss of directional control and an inadvertent ground loop. A contributing factor was inadequate supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1999 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8980D · no longer on the register · serial 186424
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was receiving his first flight in a conventional geared aircraft. The instructor had informed him before takeoff that when they were coming in to land that he needed to stay off the heel brakes. On the landing rollout, the aircraft made a slight turn to the left and the student applied right rudder to correct the divergence. The airplane then made an abrupt turn to the right. Both student and instructor applied full left rudder to counteract the right turn but could not regain directional control before the airplane ground looped. The brake system was inspected with no mechanical malfunctions noted.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,004 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 14,149 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 15, 1998; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sun West Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TUS at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 9,117 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from TUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N8980D 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.