20250923016599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Cambridge, MN · September 23, 2025

Date: September 23, 2025 · 00:02 local
Place: Cambridge, MN
Airport: Cambridge Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N14SS
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN25LA400
Reported as: Piper PA-34-200
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 789 total180 in this make and model82 in the last 90 days

N14SSRegistered now · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7770385 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The pilot with two passengers aboard was within thirty miles of his home airport flying VMC near midnight. He tuned to AWOS for a weather update of 10SM and clear skies. At 10NM out AWOS changed to diminished visibility. The pilot obtained clearance for an RNAV approach and proceeded IFR. While correcting course and looking for the runway, the aircraft dropped below decision altitude. When initiating a missed approach, the pilot saw there was a tree in his path. The aircraft struck the treetop despite applying power and pitching upward. The pilot circled the airport and diverted to a nearby airport without further incident. The damage sustained to the starboard side of the aircraft from the impact with the tree was to the fuselage, wing root, engine nacelle, propeller, wing leading edge, lower wing surface, flap, and wingtip light.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WITH TWO PASSENGERS ABOARD WAS WITHIN THIRTY MILES OF HIS HOME AIRPORT FLYING VMC NEAR MIDNIGHT. HE TUNED TO AWOS FOR A WEATHER UPDATE OF 10SM AND CLEAR SKIES. AT 10NM OUT AWOS CHANGED TO DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. THE PILOT OBTAINED CLEARANCE FOR AN RNAV APPROACH AND PROCEEDED IFR. WHILE CORRECTING COURSE AND LOOKING FOR THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED BELOW DECISION ALTITUDE. WHEN INITIATING A MISSED APPROACH, THE PILOT SAW THERE WAS A TREE IN HIS PATH. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREETOP DESPITE APPLYING POWER AND PITCHING UPWARD. THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE TREE WAS TO THE FUSELAGE, WING ROOT, ENGINE NACELLE, PROPELLER, WING LEADING EDGE, LOWER WING SURFACE, FLAP, AND WINGTIP LIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN25LA400Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportRush City, MNThe pilot’s failure to properly monitor the airplane glide path which resulted in the inadvertent descent below the approach minimum descent altitude and the impact with trees.Sep 23, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N14SS · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20031005025329ILevel Off Touchdown · Denton, TX(-23) On October 5, 2003, at approximately 1805 local time, flight instructor and pilot in command, Mr. Adrian cantu and his student Mr. Dan selters on board Piper, PA-34-200T, N14SS, landed on runway 35 at Denton airport, Texas without first extending the…Oct 5, 2003 · Minor damage