- Date
- May 10, 2025, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Saint James, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N453MKPiper PA-44-180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250510007999A
- Case key
- 200145
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 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.
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 flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction reported that upon landing, the airplane immediately veered left followed by a noticeable vibration. The flight instructor attempted to correct with opposite rudder, however, the left veer continued, and the airplane struck a runway edge light which collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane departed the runway surface and came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination found that the left tire had excessive wear and a flat spot in the casing with a corresponding 2” hole. Additionally, ground scars observed prior to the runway edge light showed that the tire casing had separated from the tire rim. It is likely the tire was in a near flat condition during the landing which resulted in the loss of directional control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N453MK
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4496579
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 643
- Engines
- Lycoming LIO-360-B1G6, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-360-B1G6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- North Star Aviation
- Registered owner
- North Star Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 5, 2025
- Airport
- JYG · St. James Municipal, runway 15, 3,999 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 21, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 717 total · 135 in this make and model · 623 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 25, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 43 in this make and model · 210 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KJYG
- METAR
- KJYG 101635Z AUTO VRB05G10KT 10SM CLR 22/03 A3028 RMK AO2=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.