# Accident 20201206017829A: Piper PA-32R-301T, Windom, MN, December 6, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 6, 2020, 06:21 local time
- Place: Windom, MN
- Airport: Windom Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.9561° N, 95.1169° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.9561&lon=-95.1169&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8178Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8178Y-2022-12-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301T (registry code 7103220, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32R-301T
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,610 total, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA075) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201206017829A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN21LA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA075), Dec 6, 2020: Piper PA32 (N8178Y), Windom, MN, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s spatial disorientation shortly after takeoff into night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in loss of airplane control and subsequent impact with terrain.

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.

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