No fatalities

PIPER PA-18-150 accident at Delta, CO, 28 Sept 2024

Delta, CO, United States

On September 28, 2024, a PIPER PA-18-150 operated by COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY was involved in an aviation accident near Delta, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s loss of aircraft control during a bounced landing and go-around, during which the right main landing gear struck a large rock, which damaged it such that it collapsed during the following landing, which caused the airplane to impact the ground… This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of aircraft control during a bounced landing and go-around, during which the right main landing gear struck a large rock, which damaged it such that it collapsed during the following landing, which caused the airplane to impact the ground resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

Pilot