Piper PA-18-150 accident near Jordan, Montana, July 13, 2007
On July 13, 2007 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7145Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jordan, Montana. It was an aerial observation 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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a go-around. Contributing factors were the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing and the rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2007 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jordan, Montana · 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
- N7145Z · registry record · serial 18-8263
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he and his passenger were hunting coyotes. He decided to land on a narrow ridge just above a coyote's hole. He said the aircraft hit the ground hard and bounced back into the air. He initiated a go around, but the airplane ended up going down a 20 foot deep dry wash that was parallel to the original landing site. The right wing, the engine mount, and the fuselage were bent and broken.
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
- Flight time: 5,250 hours in all; 4,230 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRIV Circle MT at 6:20 am
- Destination: PRIV Brockway MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from GDV
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.