Piper PA-18-150 accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida, January 31, 1998
On January 31, 1998 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N5975Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida (New Smyrna Beach Muni airport). It was a personal 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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1998 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, Florida · New Smyrna Beach Muni
- 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
- N5975Z · registry record · serial 18-8230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered the traffic pattern, and due to heavy traffic in the pattern, he elected to land on the runway in use, rather than land on a runway that was more aligned with the wind. The pilot performed a wheel landing with full flaps extended. After touchdown with a crosswind from the right, the airplane yawed to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder and full power to go around, but the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The pilot then aborted the takeoff. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest on grass adjacent to the runway with substantial damage. The pilot stated that he should have landed first with the right main and tailwheel to maintain directional control in the crosswind.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,674 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 1,429 as pilot in command; 424 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,589 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 1997; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X50 at 4:40 pm
- Destination: 34J
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DAB, 9 miles away
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.
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.