- Date
- July 14, 1990, 07:55 local (12:55 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Marais, MN
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N6146WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900714025639A
- Case key
- 14537
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
Poor judgement of the pilot due to his impairment from consumption of alcohol, and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft. A factor related to the accident was: pilot fatigue due to lack of sleep.
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
Camping companions observed the plt & 2 passengers awake & drinking beer between 0200 & 0300 CDT. Another plt rprtd they were at the airport, preparing for a flt at about 0630 CDT. Subsequently, the plane crashed in a wooded area on hilly terrain. The wreckage was found at 1930 CDT on 7/15/90 by a helicopter search crew. There was evidence the acft had entered the trees while dscndg in a near 90 deg bank. No fuel was found in the tanks, but the acft was extensively damaged during impact. Also, no preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was verified. Toxicology checks of the plt's blood, vitreous fluid & urine showed alcohol levels of 0.068%, 0.1% & 0.13% (68, 100 & 130 mg/dl), respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6146W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2820165
- Airframe hours
- 1,994
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clarence A. Mcalpine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1989 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- 58Y · Silver Bay, MN
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 220 total · 29 in this make and model · 179 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YQT, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.