- Date
- July 2, 2009, 09:08 local (14:08 UTC)
- Place
- Hibbing, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N88FNPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wrong surface or wrong airport
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- Case key
- 74236
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot mistakenly using a closed taxiway for takeoff, which resulted in the airplane striking a construction barricade.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane impacted a construction barricade while taking off from a closed taxiway. The taxiway was being prepared to be used as a temporary runway during future scheduled maintenance on the airport's main runway. At the time of the accident, the taxiway was closed while it was being painted with the temporary runway markings. However, the main runway was still in use for normal operations. There was an applicable Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) specifying that the taxiway was closed. The pilot stated that he mistakenly identified the taxiway as the active runway when he saw the temporary runway markings. The right main wing spar was substantially damaged when the main landing gear collapsed after striking the construction barricade.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted a construction barricade while taking off from a closed taxiway. The taxiway was being prepared to be used as a temporary runway during future scheduled maintenance on the airport's main runway. At the time of the accident, the taxiway was closed while it was being painted with the temporary runway markings. However, the main runway was still in use for normal operations. There was an applicable Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) specifying that the taxiway was closed. The pilot stated that he mistakenly identified the taxiway as the active runway when he saw the temporary runway markings. The right main wing spar was substantially damaged when the main landing gear collapsed after striking the construction barricade.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88FN
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26119
- Airframe hours
- 4,943
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy Riser
- Registered owner
- Roy Riser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 2009
- Departed
- KHIB · Hibbing, MN
- Destination
- 2A1 · Jamestown, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KHIB · Chisholm-Hibbing Airport
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 88
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 30, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40,000 total · 10,000 in this make and model · 35,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KHIB
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 358 KB in all.