Piper PA-22-150 accident near Buffalo, Wyoming, February 28, 2022
On February 28, 2022 at about 3:30 am local time, a 1955 Piper PA-22-150, registered N1799P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Buffalo, Wyoming (Johnson County 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 compensate for a wind gust during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and collision with terrain
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2022 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Buffalo, Wyoming · Johnson County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 22-2572, built 1955 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1799P · registry record · serial 22-2572
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, he was performing a solo night flight. The student made a normal touchdown on the runway and retarded the throttle to idle. The airplane encountered a wind gust and the right wing lifted upward. Despite his aileron and rudder inputs, he was unable to regain control of the airplane. He added full power and the airplane momentarily became airborne before settling back down. The airplane abruptly veered to the right, resulting in him breaking the window and hindering his ability to control the throttle. The airplane departed the runway surface and the left wing was substantially damaged when it contacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,648 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 2021; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320B (piston); 3,880 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SHR Sheridan WY at 3:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 6,143 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KBYG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR22LA113.