What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2020-12-06, N8178Y Piper saratoga, departed runway 35 Windom, MN (kmwm). Time on deck was 0621L. 3 minutes later the aircraft crashed in a plowed farmers field approximately 2.5 miles north of kmwm. The impact was fatal for the pilot in command, the sole occupant.
The pilot woke up around 4:30L and logged into his flight planning software. He arrived at the airport before 0600L, pulled his aircraft out of the hangar and self fueled. The weather was IFR with ceilings at 400FT and freezing temperatures. At 0611L the pilot moved down the runway and aborted takeoff. Clear of the runway the pilot made a phone call and filed with ATC. At 0621L, he departed.
A driver on the adjacent road to the mishap site reports seeing a burning fire in the field at 0630L. He continued on believing it to be a controlled farm burn. Lateral visibility was good on the road.
No adsb data was gathered. Radar did capture a right turn, followed by a left turn and then another right turn before the aircraft disappeared.
FAA on scene discovered a single 15 yard furrow heading east prior to the major impact. The green navigation light was discovered in the dirt at the beginning of the furrow. This showed the right wing by itself was the initial ground contact. The aircraft was right wing low just prior to impact. After impact, the debris field continued on an east heading for 80 yards.
15 Yards after the right wing tip touched the engine impacted the ground making a two-foot deep hole and the aircraft broke apart. Four large sections were dispersed and thousands of small pieces. 1) engine came to rest 15 yards past the hole 2) crumpled left wing was furthest part to the east 80 yards 3) crumpled right wing 4) crumpled fuselage with tail attached.
A post crash fire took place. It touched the engine but not the other large sections.
This was a high speed impact, believed to be with a high power setting on the engine.
As the FAA filed it
2020-12-06, N8178Y PIPER SARATOGA, DEPARTED RUNWAY 35 WINDOM, MN (KMWM). TIME ON DECK WAS 0621L. 3 MINUTES LATER THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A PLOWED FARMERS FIELD APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES NORTH OF KMWM. THE IMPACT WAS FATAL FOR THE PILOT IN COMMAND, THE SOLE OCCUPANT.
THE PILOT WOKE UP AROUND 4:30L AND LOGGED INTO HIS FLIGHT PLANNING SOFTWARE. HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE 0600L, PULLED HIS AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGAR AND SELF FUELED. THE WEATHER WAS IFR WITH CEILINGS AT 400FT AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES. AT 0611L THE PILOT MOVED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND ABORTED TAKEOFF. CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY THE PILOT MADE A PHONE CALL AND FILED WITH ATC. AT 0621L, HE DEPARTED.
A DRIVER ON THE ADJACENT ROAD TO THE MISHAP SITE REPORTS SEEING A BURNING FIRE IN THE FIELD AT 0630L. HE CONTINUED ON BELIEVING IT TO BE A CONTROLLED FARM BURN. LATERAL VISIBILITY WAS GOOD ON THE ROAD.
NO ADSB DATA WAS GATHERED. RADAR DID CAPTURE A RIGHT TURN, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT TURN AND THEN ANOTHER RIGHT TURN BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED.
FAA ON SCENE DISCOVERED A SINGLE 15 YARD FURROW HEADING EAST PRIOR TO THE MAJOR IMPACT. THE GREEN NAVIGATION LIGHT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE DIRT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FURROW. THIS SHOWED THE RIGHT WING BY ITSELF WAS THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RIGHT WING LOW JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. AFTER IMPACT, THE DEBRIS FIELD CONTINUED ON AN EAST HEADING FOR 80 YARDS.
15 YARDS AFTER THE RIGHT WING TIP TOUCHED THE ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND MAKING A TWO-FOOT DEEP HOLE AND THE AIRCRAFT BROKE APART. FOUR LARGE SECTIONS WERE DISPERSED AND THOUSANDS OF SMALL PIECES. 1) ENGINE CAME TO REST 15 YARDS PAST THE HOLE 2) CRUMPLED LEFT WING WAS FURTHEST PART TO THE EAST 80 YARDS 3) CRUMPLED RIGHT WING 4) CRUMPLED FUSELAGE WITH TAIL ATTACHED.
A POST CRASH FIRE TOOK PLACE. IT TOUCHED THE ENGINE BUT NOT THE OTHER LARGE SECTIONS.
THIS WAS A HIGH SPEED IMPACT, BELIEVED TO BE WITH A HIGH POWER SETTING ON THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.