Piper PA-18-150 accident near Island Park, Idaho, August 19, 2024
On August 19, 2024 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA-18-150, registered N9166T, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Island Park, Idaho (Island Park, Idaho airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of lateral control during takeoff due to an accumulation of water in the right wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2024 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Island Park, Idaho · Island Park, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1979 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9166T · registry record · serial 18-7909065
- 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 during takeoff, upon leaving the ground, the airplane abruptly rolled to the right. The pilot attempted to correct this by applying full left aileron and rudder inputs, but the airplane did not respond. Subsequently, the right wing tip impacted the ground, followed by the nose of the airplane resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. After the accident, water was observed draining from the interior of the right wing around the wing root. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, the airplane had been exposed to heavy rainfall the night prior to the accident. He further noted that water had accumulated in the wing prior to takeoff and that he had no means to detect or remove the water before takeoff.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Rain › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,929.5 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 490 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRIV Island Park ID at 1:30 am
- Destination: KIDA Idaho Falls ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,125 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KDIJ, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDIJ 200356Z AUTO 11006KT 10SM CLR 17/08 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP189 T01720083 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR24LA280.