# Accident 19960826024339A: Piper PA32R301, Rochester, MN, August 26, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 26, 1996, 15:45 local time
- Place: Rochester, MN
- Airport: Rochester Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.8500° N, 92.4809° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.8500&lon=-92.4809&mi=10
- Aircraft: N801SP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N801SP-2017-02-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301 (registry code 7103218, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5D
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 771 total, 42 in this make and model, 57 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA317) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960826024339A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SLOWER THAN NORMAL SPEEDS CLIMB AND CRUISE. FLYBY NOSE GEAR PARTIAL EXTENDED. LANDED SHORT. SHIMMY DAMPER BROKEN. (-23) OPERATOR REPORTED TO RST TOWER A NOSE GEAR PROBLEM. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED TWO LOW PASSES TO CONFIRM GEAR PROBLEM WITH THE TOWER. THE PILOT THEN TALKED TO MAINTENANCE ON GROUND FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. AFTER FLYING AROUND FOR AWHILE WITHOUT A FIX, THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING. ON THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 02, THE PILOTED ELECTED TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE ON FINAL AROUND 200 AGL AND 2 MILES OUT. THE PILOT THEN NOTICED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PILOT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASHED. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 1/4 MILE OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 02 AT RST.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI96LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA317), Aug 26, 1996: Piper PA-32R-301 (N801SP), Stewartville, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in a failure to reach the proper touchdown point for the landing. The fractured nose gear shimmy damper attaching collar and the…

## Other reports on N801SP (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20040921030569A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040921030569A), Sep 21, 2004: Piper PA32R301 (N801SP), Eucharley, GA, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) On September 21, 2004 at approximately 1930 local time, the two certificated flight instructor pilots were conducting an aircraft "checkout flight" in…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
