# Accident 20021210033639A: Namer T28B, Glenwood, MN, December 10, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 10, 2002, 13:00 local time - Place: Glenwood, MN - Airport: Glenwood Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 45.6496° N, 95.3792° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6496&lon=-95.3792&mi=10 - Aircraft: N114DH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N114DH-2005-04-26) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: North American T-28B (registry code 6402506, https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-t-28b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Wright R-1820 series (registry code 67020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/wright-r-1820-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: NAMER T28B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI03LA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA036) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021210033639A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) SYNOPSIS: ON DECEMBER 10, 2002 A NORTH AMERICAN T-28B, N114DH CRASHED IN A FIELD ABOUT 3 1/2 MILES NORTH OF GLENWOOD AIRPORT, GLENWOOD, MINNESOTA. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE PERFORMING STEEP BANKED, HIGH SPEED TURNS AT A LOW ALTITUDE FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE CRASH. ONE WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE "CUT OUT, THEN POWER UP AGAIN." TWO OTHER WITNESSES REPORTED NOT HEARING THE ENGINE CUT OUT. TWO WITNESSES AT THE GLENWOOD AIRPORT HEARD THE AIRPLANE START AND SAW IT TAXI AND RUN UP AT 12:50 PM. THEY STATED THAT IT TOOK OFF BETWEEN 12:53 AND 12:55 PM. THE POPE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT RECEIVED THE FIRST CALL REPORTING AN AIRPLANE CRASH AT 1:00 PM. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A PASTURE AND CAME TO REST IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE CONDITION OF THE WRECKAGE AND LENGTH OF THE WRECKAGE PATH INDICATE THAT VELOCITY AT IMPACT WAS HIGH, IN EXCESS OF 200 MILES PER HOUR. BOTH OCCUPANTS, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER, WHO HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, WERE KILLED. THE CRASH WAS NOT SURVIVABLE. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION: THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,900 FEET LONG, ON AN EAST/WEST ORIENTATION, WITH GROUND SCARRING AND SCRAPE MARKS ON A LINE OF 280 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS PRIMARILY WITHIN A PASTURE AND AN ADJACENT PLOWED FIELD. THE PASTURE WAS BORDERED ON THE EAST BY POPLAR TREES. THERE WAS AN AREA OF TORN AND MISSING BARK APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES LONG ON THE TRUNK OF A TREE ON THE EAST END OF THE PASTURE, AT A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 25 FEET. A LARGE BRANCH GROWING FROM THE TREE BELOW THE IMPACT MARK AND GROWING UP AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WAS NOT DAMAGED. A BRANCH GROWING HORIZONTALLY FROM THE TRUNK AT THE HEIGHT OF THE IMPACT MARKING WAS BROKEN AND LAYING ON THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS LAYING 85 FEET WEST OF THE TREE TO THE RIGHT OF THE FIRST GROUND SCRAPE MARKS. MARKS ON THE WING TIP AND TREE CONFIRMED THAT THE WING TIP STRUCK THE TREE WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A RIGHT BANK OF APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREE. THE GROUND SCRAPE BEGAN 140 FEET FROM THE TREE, AS A NARROW (3 TO 4 INCH WIDE) SCRAPE WHICH MARKED, BUT DID NOT TEAR OR UPROOT THE GRASS, AND WHICH WIDENED TO ABOUT 2 TO 3 FEET WIDE AND GRADUALLY INCREASED TO A DEPTH OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. THIS SCRAPE MARK WAS 80 FEET LONG, ENDING AT THE FIRST OF FOUR PROPELLER SLASHES, SPACED 6 TO 7 FEET APART, ANE WHICH WERE 5 FEET RIGHT (NORTH OF THE GROUND SCRAPE). THESLASH MARKS WERE 8 TO 12 INCHES DEEP AND 2 TO 4 FEET LONG. THE SOIL ON THE WEST SIDE OF EACH SLASH MARK WAS COMPACTED AND CONTAINED RED AND WHITE PAINT SCRAPINGS, CONSISTENT WITH THE PAINT FOUND ON THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES. THE FIRST SLASH MARK WAS NEARLY VERTICAL, WITH EARTH PENETRATION OF ABOUT 8 INCHES. THE SLASH MARKS BECAME PROGRESSIVELY DEEPER, LONGER AND ANGLED WITH THE SURFACE. THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE GROUND SCAR, SLIGHTLY BEYOND AND TO THE SOUTH OF THE FOURTH SLASH MARK, AND WAS BURIED 8 TO 14 INCHES INTO THE TOP SOIL IN THE PASTURE, WITH THE SPINNER POINTING EAST. A TRAIL OF DEBRIS INCLUDING SMALL PIECES OF AIRCRAFT SKIN, FITTINGS, COCKPIT CANOPY AND COCKPIT CONTENTS BEGAN ABOUT 30 FEET WEST OF THE PROPELLER SPINNER. AND CONTINUED TO THE POINT WHERE THE MAIN PART OF THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST, ABOUT 1200 FEET FROM THE TREE. THE DEBRIS FIELD INCLUDED CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED AFTER THE PROPELLER AND NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE CANOPY FRAME WAS LAYING IN THE DEBRIS FIELD ABOUT 180 FEET EAST OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS LYING INVERTED WITH THE EMPENAGE AND TAIL BROKEN OFF AND AND LAYING UPRIGHT NEXT TO THE FUSELAGE. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE INTACT AND ATTACHED TO THE EMPENAGE. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS INTACT AND ATTACHED, BUT WAS CRUSHED AND BENT OVER BEGINNING 1 FOOT ABOVE THE EMPENAGE. BOTH WINGS AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WERE DESTROYED. THE WING CENTER SECTION WAS LOCATED BEYOND THE FUSELAGE TO THE RIGHT (NORTH) OF THE MAIN DEBRIS FIELD. THE WING CENTER SECTION CONTAINED THE INTACT RIGHT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY, OLEO STRUT, WHEEL AND TIRE. THE GEAR DOWN LOCK MECHANISM WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, WITH NO SIGNS OF IMPACT RELATED FAILURE. THE MAJOR PORTIONS OF TWO PROPELLER BLADES WERE LOCATED WITHIN THE DEBRIS FIELD, 40 AND 60 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE PROPELLER HUB AND ONE BLADE WERE LOCATED 200 FEET WEST OF THE FUSELAGE. TWO OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN NEAR THE HUB; THE THIRD REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HUB. ALL OF THE PROPELLER BLADES AND PIECES WERE LOCATED AND IDENTIFIED. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF PROPELLER ROTATION. THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO BENDING OF ANY OF THE PROPELLER BLADES. THE CARBURETOR AND BLOWER IMPELLER HOUSING WERE LOCATED BEYOND THE PROPELLER HUB AND BLADE ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE IMPELLER HOUSING AND CARBURETOR MOUNTING BOLTS AND FLANGES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF MOUNTING BOLT FAILURE UNDER OVERSTRESS. THE ENGINE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1300 FEET BEYOND THE FUSELAGE, NEAR A TREE ON THE EDGE OF THE PLOWED FIELD, WHICH HAD A LARGE SCAR ABOUT 3 FEET LONG, BEGINNING 1 FOOT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. A TREE 12 FEET TO THE WEST AND SOUTH OF THIS TREE HAD IMPACT SCARRING ON THE TRUNK AT A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 10 FEET. TWO ENGINE CYLINDERS, WHICH WERE NOT ON THE ENGINE, WERE LOCATED IN THE FIELD ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. ALL CYLINDER ATTACH BOLTS WERE IN THE ENGINE CASING, AND WERE BROKEN OR SHEARED CONSISTENT WITH OVERSTRESS FAILURE. ALL MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, PROPELLER BLADES, CONTROL SURFACES, TRIM TABS AND ENGINE PARTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SCENE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE. FUEL TANK FLOAT VALVE ASSEMBLIES WERE LOCATED WITHIN THE DEBRIS PATH, AS WERE PIECES OF RUBBER FUEL BLADDER. NONE OF THE PIECES OF FUEL BLADDER WERE LARGE ENOUGH TO CONTAIN FUEL. A PORTION OF FUEL LINE WITHIN THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE WAS LOCATED, AND CONTAINED A SMALL AMOUNT (LESS THEN 2 OUNCES) OF FUEL. THE CARBURETOR WAS EXAMINED AT THE SCENE. NO FUEL DRIPPED FROMANY OF THE BROKEN FUEL LINES. THREE OF THE FUEL LINE FITTINGS ('B' NUTS) WERE LOOSE, AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED WITH ONLY FINGER PRESSURE. WITNESS STATEMENTS: THREE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE AND MAKING STEEP BANKED TURNS. ALL THREE COMMENTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING VERY FAST. ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE AIRPLANE "MAKE HARD TURNS" AND STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE "CUT OUT, THEN HEARD IT POWER UP AGAIN, BUT SPUTTERING, LIKE IT WAS IN AND OUT." HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE MANEUVERING. HIS CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS MAKING STEEP BANK TURNS BASED ON THE SOUND, WAS DUE TO HIS EXPERIENCE AS A CREWMEMBER ON A NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER WHICH HAD A SQUADRON OF T-28'S. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW AND HEARD THE AIRPLANE, AND HEARD THE ENGINE CUT OUT FOR "ONLY A SECOND OR SO, TWO OR THREE TIMES". ONE WITNESS, A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN, SAW THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEAR BEHIND A LOW RISE WHILE IN A STEEP BANK, AND THEN SAW A "CLOUD OF DUST", AND REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CRASHED. HE WAS ON SCENE WITHIN 2 MINUTES. HE WALKED TO THE FUSELAGE THROUGH THE DEBRIS PATH. HE COULD NOT DETECT ANY ODOR OF FUEL IN THE DEBRIS PATH, NOR AS HE APPROACHED THE FUSELAGE. HE STATED THAT AS FIREMAN, HE IS TRAINED TO NOTICE ODORS AT ACCIDENT SCENE, AND SPECIFICALLY NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO ODOR OF FUEL. HE DID DETECT THE ODOR OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AS HE APPROACHED THE FUSELAGE. IMPACT SEQUENCE: ON SCEND EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE FIRST STRUCK A TREE WITH ITS RIGHT WING TIP WHILE IN A RIGHT BANK OF APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. THE RIGHT WING THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 80 FEET UNTIL THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO "CARTWHEEL". AFTER PROPELLER CONTACT, THE AIRPLANE ROTATED ONTO ITS BACK, IMPACTING THE GROUND INVERTED, AND THEN SLID AND PROBABLY ROLLED UNTIL COMING TO REST IN THE PLOWED FIELD. BOTH WINGS WERE DESTROYED. THE CRASH WAS NOT SURVIVABLE. PROPELLER SLASH MARKS AND THE CONDITION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER AT IMPACT. FUEL QUANTITY: THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO DETERMINE THE FUEL QUANTITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT USED A SELF-SERVICE FUEL PUMP AT THE GLENWOOD AIRPORT, AND OWNED ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH HE FUELED USING THE SAME ACCOUNT. FUELING RECORDS FOR HIS ACCOUNT AT GLENWOOD SHOW SEVEN DIFFERENT FUEL PURCHASES OF QUANTITIES RANGING FROM 10 TO 110 GALLONS DURING THE TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. AN EMPLOYEE AT ANOTHER AIRPORT FREQUENTED BY THE PILOT (FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA) RECALLS THAT THE PILOT WAS THERE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND PURCHASED FUEL AT THE SELF-SERVE PUMPS ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE THE CRASH. RECORDS INDICATE THE AMOUNT WAS 70 GALLONS. A FAMILY MEMBER TOLD THE SHERIFF THAT IT WAS HER UNDERSTANING THAT THE PILOT KEPT A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE KEEPING THE TANKS FULL WAS HARD ON THE FUEL TANK BLADDERS. ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO KNEW THE PILOT WELL STATED THAT HE WAS "VERY METICULOUS" ABOUT FUELING HIS AIRPLANE, AND ALWAYS KEPT THE TANKS FULL. ENGINE POWER: TWO WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE "CUT OUT" WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING. TWO OTHER WITNESSES WHO SAW AND HEARD THE AIRPLANE JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED REPORTED HEARING NO UNUSUAL ENGINE SOUNDS, OTHER THAN REPORTING THAT IT WAS "VERY LOUD", WHICH IS WHAT DREW THEIR ATTENTION TO THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY. THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A SMALL "SUMP TANK" WHICH IS FED BY BOTH WING TANKS AND WHICH IN TURN FEEDS THE ENGINE. THE NORTH AMERICAN T-28B PILOT OPERATING MANUAL STATES THAT: "...PROLONGED UNSYMMETRICAL FLIGHT MAY CAUSE UNEVEN FUEL FLOW OR PREVENT FUEL FROM FLOWING INTO THE SUMP TANK. IF THIS OCCURS AND THE ENGINE STOPS DUE TO LACK OF FUEL, IMMEDIATELY REVERT TO NORMAL FLIGHT AND THE ENGINE SHOULD START." ONE OF THE WITNESSES WHO SAW THE AIRPLANE MANEUVERING STATED THAT DURING ONE MANEUVER IT CLIMBED FROM "WHERE I COULD SEE TREES BEHIND IT, TO ABOVE THE TREES AGAIN", AND STATED THAT THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A STEEP BANK TURN. THE WITNESS WHO REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE CLIMB "..TO ABOVE THE TREES AGAIN", REPORTED NOT HEARING THE ENGINE AT ALL BECAUSE HE WAS DRIVING WITH HIS VEHICLE WINDOWS CLOSED. ENGINE CONDITION AND PROPELLER SLASH MARKS INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. ## 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 CHI03LA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA036), Dec 10, 2002: North American T-28B (N114DH), Glenwood, MN, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The altitude/clearance not maintained by the pilot-in-command. The low altitude maneuvering by the pilot-in-command was a contributing factor. 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.