Piper PA-20 accident near Three Forks, Montana, February 13, 2026
On February 13, 2026 at about 10:42 pm local time, a 1952 Piper PA-20, registered N1491A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Three Forks, Montana (Three Forks 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional during the landing roll with a variable wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2026 · about 10:42 pm local time
- Place
- Three Forks, Montana · Three Forks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20, built 1952 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N1491A · registry record · serial 20-840
- 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 the landing roll, the airplane encountered a gust of wind that lifted the left wing. While correcting, the airplane ground looped to the left and exited the left side of the runway. During the ground loop, the right wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident the airplane landed on runway 21 with a variable wind at 7 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 230.4 hours in all; 139.5 in this make and model; 12.8 in the last 90 days; 10.7 in the last 30 days; 162.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 7, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,099.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 3,111 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,099 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): 132256Z 08004KT 10SM CLR 08/M08 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP178 T00781078=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR26LA105.