Piper PA18 accident near Bountiful, Utah, April 25, 2020
On April 25, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA18, registered N707VB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bountiful, Utah (Skypark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a roll-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1956 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N707VB · registry record · serial 18-4595
- 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 she aborted the first landing due to the wind changing direction and slight gusts. During the rollout after the second landing, the pilot applied brakes as the wind simultaneously shifted and lifted the tail upward, which resulted in the propeller striking the runway and the airplane coming to rest in a nose-low attitude. Shortly after, another wind gust lifted the tail, which caused the airplane to flip over. The right-wing lift strut, rudder, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,274 hours in all; 1,193 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 12, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,004.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2019; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 942 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMC Brigham City UT at 5:22 pm
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,634 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 24,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KSLC, 5 miles away
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 WPR20CA134.