Piper PA-18A-135 accident near Yelm, Washington, November 24, 2007
On November 24, 2007 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-135, registered N3250B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yelm, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 directional control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane during landing roll. Contributing factors were the rough/uneven terrain and log.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2007 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Yelm, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-135 · all PA-18A-135s on the register
- Registration
- N3250B · registry record · serial 18-3265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on a gravel river bar in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in the aircraft impacting a log located adjacent to the intended landing area which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed no mechanical anomalies.
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: 228 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2006; 44.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLU Puyallup WA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: Yelm WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.