Piper PA-18-150 N9166T accident near Island Park, Idaho

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR24LA280 for the full record.