Piper PA-18-135 accident near Compton, California, September 3, 2023
On September 3, 2023 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1950 Piper PA-18-135, registered N7199K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Compton, California (Compton/Woodley airport). It was a banner-towing 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
An overstress fracture of the pilot’s seat, which resulted in the loss of control during takeoff and the pilot’s inadvertent movement of the fuel selector and subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2023 · about 9:20 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Compton, California · Compton/Woodley · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135, built 1950 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N7199K · registry record · serial 18-222
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The banner tow flight was in the initial climb after the pilot snagged the banner when the back of the pilot’s seat broke and the pilot inadvertently pulled back on the control yoke as he abruptly slid aft to a horizontal position. The airplane pitched up in a nose-high attitude, causing the pilot to further slide aft. The airplane was about 200 ft above ground level (agl) and at the onset of an aerodynamic stall. Using a crossbeam to pull himself forward, the pilot was able to push the flight control stick forward and recover the airplane. The airplane’s engine then began to “cough” and it sustained a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot made a forced landing to a nearby baseball field. The airplane impacted a fence along a concrete wash resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the pilot’s seat fracture surface revealed characteristics consistent with an overstress fracture. Examination of the engine revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that when he slid aft, the fuel selector lever may have inadvertently been moved out of the “both/on” position, resulting in the partial loss of engine power.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › (general) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the airframe structure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Unintentional use/operation other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,739 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 1,644 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 21, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,706.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 8, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2A (piston); 11,304 hours total
- Operator: Van Wagner Aerial Media LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KHHR, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHHR 032053Z 24012KT 10SM CLR 27/13 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP160 T02720128 58010 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 20, 2025. 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 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Phone Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Evidence Control Forms | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7199K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,844 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2A 19 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Compton/Woodley Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- California 27,673 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR23LA336.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.