Piper PA-18-150 N9166T

Summary

On 19 August 2024 at about 15:45 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N9166T was involved in an accident near Island Park, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 August 2024 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Island Park, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Island Park, Idaho (PRIV)

Coordinates

44.0000, -111.0000

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N9166T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Island Park → Idaho Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA280

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of lateral control during takeoff due to an accumulation of water in the right wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.