Piper PA-12 accident near Aberdeen, Idaho, October 25, 2024
On October 25, 2024 at about 9:45 pm local time, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N2524M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Aberdeen, Idaho. 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 back pressure on the control stick during a landing attempt on gravel, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2024 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Aberdeen, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12, built 1946 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2524M · registry record · serial 12-910
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a gravel bar, he performed a touch and go landing to assess the landing surface. The surface seemed stable to the pilot; however, during the subsequent full stop landing, he failed to hold enough back pressure on the flight control stick to keep the tail down. When the main landing gear touched down on the gravel surface, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 322 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 17.7 in the last 90 days; 7.2 in the last 30 days; 270 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,872.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,604 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2B (piston); 170 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U36 Aberdeen ID at 9:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from KLGU, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLGU 282151Z AUTO 35007KT 10SM CLR 16/03 A2970 RMK AO2 SLP036 T01610033
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 2 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.