Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL-M-18 accident near Burley, Idaho, July 21, 2003
On July 21, 2003 at about 3:15 am local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL-M-18, registered N2709Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burley, Idaho (Burley Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to remove the elevator gust lock prior to flight. Factors include the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2003 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Burley, Idaho · Burley Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL-M-18
- Registration
- N2709Q · no longer on the register · serial 1Z008-01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the commercial pilot reported that he inadvertently left the elevator control lock installed. He reported that he had aileron and rudder control, but the only means of controlling the airplane's pitch was via the elevator trim, which was limited. He further stated that he was unable to lower the airplane's nose and that after initiating a turn to the left, the airplane's nose "fell through." Shortly after initiating the turn, the airplane impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 2,550 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 12,300 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-53 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: A-1 Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: BYI Burley ID at 9:15 pm
- Destination: BYI Burley ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.