# Accident 20211018017169A: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-28-181, Buxton, ND, October 18, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 18, 2021, 19:25 local time
- Place: Buxton, ND
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: OG5S
- Location: 47.5685° N, 97.0325° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5685&lon=-97.0325&mi=10
- Aircraft: N820ND, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N820ND) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102832, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-B4A (registry code 41867, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-b4a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22FA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA017) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211018017169A

## Narrative

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

THE FARGO FSDO WAS CONTACT ON 10/18/2021 AT 2215 CENTRAL TIME REGARDING AN ACCIDENT IN THE HILLSBORO, ND AREA.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS IDENTIFIED AS N820ND.  INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE ON 10/19/2021 TO ASSIST THE NTSB WITH THE INVESTIGATION.

ACCIDENT SCENE WAS IN A HARVESTED AND PLOWED RURAL FARM FIELD APPROXIMATELY 3 SM SE OF THE TOWN OF BUXTON, ND.  N820ND WAS A PA28-181 PIPER ARCHER 4 SEAT TRAINING AIRCRAFT WITH THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ 141 PILOT SCHOOL.  THE ACCIDENT WAS CONFINED WITH ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF ONE ANOTHER.  ACCIDENT SITE INDICATES AN ALMOST VERTICAL IMPACT ON A NW HEADING.  AIRCRAFT SPINNER AND PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT AS THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ONTO THE TOP OF THE CABIN COMING TO REST ABOUT 15 FEET TO THE NW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ROOF OF THE COCKPIT ROOF AND RIGHT MAIN WHEEL WHICH WERE FOUND ABOUT 50 AND 100 YARDS RESPECTIVELY TO THE NW OF THE INITIAL IMPACT.

THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND RECOVERED BY THE GRAND FORKS MEDICAL EXAMINER ON 10/18/2021.

THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY POST-CRASH FIRE. INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB, PIPER AIRCRAFT, AND LYCOMING ENGINES INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN A HIGH ENERGY, HIGH ANGLE IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ENGINE FROM MAKING POWER PRIOR TO 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 CEN22FA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA017), Oct 19, 2021: Piper PA-28-181 (N820ND), Buxton, ND, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s intentional flight into terrain as an act of suicide.

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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