# Accident 20250510007999A: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-44-180, St James, MN, May 10, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 10, 2025, 11:40 local time
- Place: St James, MN
- Airport: St. James Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: NUTS
- Location: 43.9849° N, 94.5565° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.9849&lon=-94.5565&mi=10
- Aircraft: N453MK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N453MK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1G6 (registry code 41866, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-b1g6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-44-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-B1G6
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 720 total, 136 in this make and model, 116 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA174) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250510007999A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND/INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT PLANNED A SIMULATED SINGLE-ENGINE FAILURE, RESTART SCENARIO AND EMERGENCY DESCENT, INCLUDING A DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT, AS PART OF THE STUDENT’S COMMERCIAL FLIGHT LAB. THE STUDENT AND PIC NOTED NO ANOMALIES DURING THE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST AND WALK-AROUND INSPECTION. THE STUDENT PILOT NOTED THAT THE BRAKES AND CONTROLS OPERATED CORRECTLY ON TAXI CHECKS. THEY TOOK OFF AND RAN THE SIMULATED MALFUNCTION EXERCISE. THE STUDENT ADVISED ATC OF THE SIMULATION AND WANTED TO DIVERT TO THE NEARBY AIRPORT. ATIS WEATHER CALLED FOR WINDS VARIABLE AT 6 KNOTS AND THAT THE ALTIMETER WAS 30.29. THE INSTRUCTOR LET THE STUDENT HAVE BOTH ENGINES BACK AFTER THE EMERGENCY DESCENT AND THE STUDENT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. NO AIRCRAFT ANOMALIES WERE NOTED BY EITHER PILOT, SO THEY PROCEEDED TO PERFORM A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF FOLLOWED BY A SHORT FIELD LANDING. AS THEY TOUCHED DOWN, THE STUDENT PILOT NOTICED “SOME WEIRD SHAKING/VIBRATION WITH THE PLANE.” HE STATED THAT HE APPLIED “NORMAL” BRAKE PRESSURE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT “TOOK A HARD YAW TO THE LEFT.” THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT COURSE BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER, AS DID THE INSTRUCTOR. THE RIGHT RUDDER CORRECTION DID NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. WHILE IN THE GRASS, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A CONCRETE RUNWAY LIGHT BASE AND COLLAPSED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO GET THE AIRCRAFT BACK ON THE RUNWAY AND THE RIGHT TIRE BRIEFLY WENT BACK ON THE RUNWAY. AT THAT POINT, THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED “THE PLANE TOOK ANOTHER HARD YAW TO THE LEFT AND SPUN ABOUT 130-145 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.” THAT MOVEMENT DAMAGED THE LEFT WING SUBSTANTIALLY AS THE AIRCRAFT RESTED AND PIVOTED UPON IT.  UPON THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST IN THE GRASS, THE PILOTS SHUT DOWN ENGINES AND EGRESSED. FAA INVESTIGATORS NOTED THE LEFT MAIN TIRE HAD A FLAT SPOT AND A HOLE EXCEEDING TWO INCHES IN RADIUS. TIRE SIGNATURES ON THE RUNWAY NOTED BY THE INVESTIGATORS SUGGEST THE TIRE WENT FLAT ON THE RUNWAY AND SIGNATURES IN THE GRASS INDICATE THE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE RIM IN THE GRASS PRIOR TO STRIKING THE RUNWAY LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.

## 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 CEN25LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA174), May 10, 2025: Piper PA-44-180 (N453MK), Saint James, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the left main landing gear tire casing and tube due to excessive wear which resulted in a 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.

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