Piper PA-18 accident near Newberg, Oregon, August 19, 2002
On August 19, 2002 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1277A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newberg, Oregon (Chehalem Airpark 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A warped right brake disc resulting in a veer to the right during the landing roll, and the aircraft's subsequent collision with a fence. A contributing factor was the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2002 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Newberg, Oregon · Chehalem Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1277A · registry record · serial 18-1072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tail-wheel equipped Piper PA-18 was executing a landing on runway 25 under calm wind conditions when the aircraft began to veer to the right. The aircraft departed the runway and then impacted a fence. Both the pilot and the accompanying instructor reported that the application of left rudder was unsuccessful in controlling the aircraft's direction. Subsequent examination of the aircraft's brake system revealed that the right main gear brake disc was warped.
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: 926 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 846 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2002; 10 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: 7S3 Hillsboro OR at 4:15 pm
- Destination: 17S Newberg OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,285 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MMV, 8 miles away
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 N1277A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA02LA160.