# NTSB CEN22FA017: Piper PA-28-181, N820ND, Buxton, ND, October 19, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: October 18, 2021, 19:24 local (Oct 19, 2021, 00:24 UTC) - Place: Buxton, ND - Coordinates: 47.568545, -97.032507 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5685&lon=-97.0325&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA, Piper Aircraft Inc, Lycoming, University of North Dakota - NTSB case key (mKey): 104122 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22FA017 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104122/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104122 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA017 ## Probable cause The pilot’s intentional flight into terrain as an act of suicide. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Intentional act: suicide](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015): Personnel issues › Miscellaneous · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot departed on a night cross-country flight. Flight track data showed that, after takeoff, the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 3,700 ft mean sea level. About 30 miles from the departure airport, the airplane turned left about 180° and began a rapid descent. The wreckage was located in a plowed, soft dirt field. Examination revealed no preimpact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Following a death investigation, the state medical examiner classified the manner of death as a suicide. ## Factual narrative On October 18, 2021, about 1924 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N820ND, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Buxton, North Dakota. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to air traffic control information, the pilot departed Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Grand Forks, North Dakota, about 1900 for a night cross-country flight to Hector International Airport (FAR), Fargo, North Dakota. The airplane departed runway 17L, climbed to about 3,700 ft mean sea level, and continued south toward FAR. About 30 miles from GFK, the airplane turned left about 180° and began a rapid descent (see figure 1.). The airplane’s track ended about 1924. Based on an estimate of the last known position, the airplane was located by local law enforcement about 2040. Figure 1. Airplane flight track The wreckage was located in a plowed, soft dirt field and distributed on a magnetic heading of about 300°. The initial impact point was located about 25 ft from the main wreckage. The initial impact contained the two-bladed propeller and propeller hub and several separated sections of the lower forward fuselage. Fragmented sections of the engine cowling, upper cockpit and windscreen structure, plexiglass, and avionics were found in the debris forward of the main wreckage. Both wing leading edges were crushed aft to the flaps and ailerons. The forward fuselage was crushed aft to the rear cabin bulkhead. The airplane damage was consistent with a high-angle and high-energy impact with terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota. The autopsy report listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma, and the manner of death as suicide. The Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory, performed toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot. Testing was negative for ethanol drugs, and carbon monoxide. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N820ND](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N820ND), registered now, S/N 2881048, built 2018 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-28-181 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102832) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-B4A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-b4a) (registry code 41867, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2881048 - Year built: 2018 - Airframe hours: 2868 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-B4A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: University Of North Dakota - Registered owner: University Of North Dakota - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 5, 2021, 49 hours before - Departed: GFK, Grand Forks, ND - Destination: FAR, Fargo, ND - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 19; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 20, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 123 total, 123 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 170° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.67 inHg - Observed at: KGFK, 23 nm away - METAR: KGFK 190053Z 17007KT 10SM BKN250 14/07 A2967 RMK AO2 SLP052 T01390072 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20211018017169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211018017169A), Oct 18, 2021: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-28-181, Buxton, ND, Destroyed, 1 fatal. 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.… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104122. 6.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13233451&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN22FA017%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight track (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 225 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13233354&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Overview-Rel.pdf - ADS-B data (item 3, CSV, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13232781&FileExtension=csv&FileName=20211019_AB320B_468007901_ADSB-Rel.csv - Autopsy memo (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 144 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13232984&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Autopsy%20Memo-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 345 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13233581&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=2021_178_001_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 901 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13233364&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation Piper (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 231 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13232791&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%20Piper%20Party%20Form%20N820ND_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation Lycoming (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 304 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13232994&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Certification%20of%20Party%20Representative%20-%20N820ND%20-%20Lycoming_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.