# Accident 20110212004499A: Piper PA-28-161, Minneapolis, MN, February 12, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 12, 2011, 01:12 local time - Place: Minneapolis, MN - Airport: Crystal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 45.0619° N, 93.3539° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0619&lon=-93.3539&mi=10 - Aircraft: N536PU, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N536PU) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 63 total, 63 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN11LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA183) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110212004499A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 02/14/2011 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN A PA-28-161, N536PU, AT MIC AIRPORT ON 02/12/2011. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN RELOCATED FROM THE SCENE TO A THUNDERBIRD AVIATION HANGAR. UPON LOOKING OVER THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED DUE TO SIGNIFICANT BENDING AND BREAKING OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE. THE OUTBOARD RIGHT WING HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE AREA AND THE LOWER LEADING EDGE R/H WING SKIN WAS DENTED. IT WAS NOT OBVIOUSLY NOTICEABLE IF THE FRONT SPAR WAS DAMAGE BUT FROM THE PHOTOS IT APPEARS TO BE. A BREAK IN THE ENGINE MOUNT HAD PUNCTURED A HOLE INTO THE FIREWALL IN THE LOWER LEFT QUARTER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ISSUED A TEMPORARY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE AS A PRIVATE PILOT ON 01/26/2011. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HIS PRE-FLIGHT RUN UP OF THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. HE RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 14R.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE RUNNING SATISFACTORILY ON TAKEOFF, BUT STATED THAT HE WAS FOCUSING ON AIRSPEED, AND HAD TROUBLE CLIMBING DUE TO APPARENT LOW POWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO STATED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS OFF DURING TAKEOFF AND THAT RIGHT AFTER TAKE OFF, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, HE THEN SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND THAT DID NOT APPEAR TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT HE THEN CHECKED AND VERIFIED THAT THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH, THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS OFF AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS ON. HE DECREASED THE THROTTLE SLIGHTLY (TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS ABOUT 95% AND IT APPEARED TO IMPROVE THE ENGINE POWER FOR A WHILE BUT THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO STUMBLE AGAIN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN CONTACTED THE CONTROL TOWER AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STAYED IN THE PATTERN FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. AT ABOUT 1900 FEET HE REDUCED THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE SEEMED TO RUN WORSE AS IF IT WANTED TO DIE. MR. CARLETON KEPT SOME POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND NORMALLY ON RUNWAY 14L. HE HAD TO SLIP THE AIRPLANE ON DOWNWIND TO LOSE SOME ALTITUDE. UPON LANDING HE STATED THAT HE INPUTTED RIGHT RUDDER AND THE AIRCRAFT KEEP GOING LEFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO STATED THAT HE THINKS HE HIT THE RUNWAY HARD BUT WAS NOT SURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID RIGHT RUDDER DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE DIRECTIONAL TRAVEL OF THE AIRPLANE AS HE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE SNOW BANK. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID STATE THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HE LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR FIRST, BUT WAS NOT TOTALLY SURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASKED IF HE WOULD SUBMIT A WRITTEN STATEMENT AND STATED HE WOULD.NOTE: THUNDERBIRD AVIATION NOTED THAT THE ENGINE CHECKS OK. ## 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 CEN11LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA183), Feb 12, 2011: Piper PA-28-161 (N536PU), Minneapolis, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing. 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.