20260525005879I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Grand Forks, ND · May 25, 2026

Date
May 25, 2026 · 10:27 local
Place
Grand Forks, ND
Airport
Grand Forks Int'L
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
OG5S
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N730ND
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-B4A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
950 total73 in the last 90 days

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.

During initial takeoff on rwy 27L, the student performed a soft-field takeoff with the CFI in the right seat and an observer in the rear seats. Winds at takeoff were 220/13. Upon lift-off, the aircraft pitched greater than 10 degrees and then veered to the left. The CFI added right rudder to counteract the weathervane condition (without informing the pilot flying) and the pilot flying simultaneously added right aileron. Upon assuming control of the aircraft, the CFI allowed the nose to pitch to approximately 20 degrees. During the entire event, the left wingtip, right wingtip, right side of the horizontal stabilizer, and tail tie-down struck the ground and were damaged. Additionally, there was minor damage to the outer edge of the left aileron.

As the FAA filed it

DURING INITIAL TAKEOFF ON RWY 27L, THE STUDENT PERFORMED A SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF WITH THE CFI IN THE RIGHT SEAT AND AN OBSERVER IN THE REAR SEATS. WINDS AT TAKEOFF WERE 220/13. UPON LIFT-OFF, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED GREATER THAN 10 DEGREES AND THEN VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE CFI ADDED RIGHT RUDDER TO COUNTERACT THE WEATHERVANE CONDITION (WITHOUT INFORMING THE PILOT FLYING) AND THE PILOT FLYING SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDED RIGHT AILERON. UPON ASSUMING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE CFI ALLOWED THE NOSE TO PITCH TO APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT, THE LEFT WINGTIP, RIGHT WINGTIP, RIGHT SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND TAIL TIE-DOWN STRUCK THE GROUND AND WERE DAMAGED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE LEFT AILERON.