Piper PA-18-150 accident near Owyhee, Oregon, August 15, 1995
On August 15, 1995 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N6854P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Owyhee, Oregon (Owyhee Reservoir State 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS DIVERSION OF ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1995 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Owyhee, Oregon · Owyhee Reservoir State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6854P · no longer on the register · serial 18-7447
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE WAS BACK-TAXIING ON THE RUNWAY, AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED AS THE PILOT FIRMLY PRESSED THE LEFT BRAKE. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO GROUND LOOP AND THE NOSE WENT DOWN. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO NOSE OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED FROM LOOKING OUT THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE TO LOOKING OUT THE SIDE WINDOW FOR CHUCK HOLES. THE PILOT WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE TAIL WAS COMING UP UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOSING OVER.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 643 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 544 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 1994; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 1,840 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N6854P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.