- Date
- June 4, 1983, 18:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N55270Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830604025619A
- Case key
- 12197
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with a railroad sign during approach to a private airstrip. The weather was VMC but there was a cross-wind of about 15 KTS and a low sun creating sunglare. The acft drifted to the south side of the rwy due to wind and collided with the sign. The plt was having difficulty seeing the rwy or obstruction because of the sunglare.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55270
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325356
- Airframe hours
- 412
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Curtis Buck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 23, 1982
- Departed
- 14D · Princeton, MN
- Airport
- Hooks, runway 27, 1,850 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 212 total · 37 in this make and model · 157 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.