Piper PA-18-150 accident near Big Creek, Idaho, July 31, 1999
On July 31, 1999 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N6741L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Creek, Idaho (Big Creek airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's improper remedial action (continued takeoff). Contributing factors were the tree and control interference (inadvertent brake activation) by the passenger..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1999 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Big Creek, Idaho · Big Creek · 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
- N6741L · registry record · serial 18-7409113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command reported that he 'did not warn [the rear seat passenger] about hitting the brake pedals under [his] seat.' He then initiated the takeoff roll reporting that 'the airplane pitched to the left greater than ever before.' Rather than terminating the takeoff, he corrected with right rudder and right brake. As the airplane returned to the center of the runway and 'as [he] continued to apply power [he] released the drag on the right brake. As [he] released the brake the airplane pitched hard to the left towards some small trees.' Rather than impacting a tree head on he 'added hard left rudder as the airplane started to ground loop.' The aircraft impacted the tree on the right side and came to a stop. Post-crash examination of the aircraft's left wheel and brake assembly revealed no mechanical malfunction. The pilot-in-command reported that he believed that his 'passenger may have been resting a foot against the left brake pedal without knowing it.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,803 hours in all; 102 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 2,753 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,807 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1999; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: EUL Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,550 ft by 110 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from MYL, 36 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N6741L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA99LA132.