Cessna 140A accident near Lowman, Idaho, August 16, 2008
On August 16, 2008 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 140A, registered N1161D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lowman, Idaho (Warm Springs Creek Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2008 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lowman, Idaho · Warm Springs Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N1161D · registry record · serial 15724
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After touching down on the grass/turf airstrip in a tailwheel equipped airplane, the pilot failed to maintain directional control. As the pilot was attempting to regain control of the airplane, it ground looped, resulting in the collapse of one of the main landing gear legs. In addition to the collapse of the landing gear leg, the accident sequence resulted in the bending of internal structure of the right wing. According to the pilot, there were no issues with the flight controls or the tail wheel steering system.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,644 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U98 Idaho City ID
- Destination: 0U1 Lowman ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,850 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 SEA08CA186.