- Date
- February 2, 1993, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- White Bear Lake, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3854MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930202001359A
- Case key
- 15661
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 selected unsuitable terrain for landing. The snow covered runway was a factor.
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 pilot stated when he landed on the snow-covered airstrip, it appeared the snow was 'hard packed.' He reported as the airplane decelerated, it began to sink into the snow, then nosed over. He stated: 'in the thirty eight years of flying this is my first accident. Sometimes we make bad decisions and this was one of those times.' FAA personnel reported 8 inches of snow on the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3854M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2767
- Airframe hours
- 2,832
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dorn, Earl D.
- Registered owner
- Dorn, Earl D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- MIC · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- BBB · Benson, runway 32, 2,500 × 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,730 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 275° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.