- Date
- May 24, 1994, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N804NDPiper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940524012339A
- Case key
- 9541
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-in-command's not maintaining directional control.
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 student pilot was landing on runway 35R with the wind reported as 340 degrees at 10 knots when directional control was lost. The airplane exited the runway striking a sign and terrain. No mechanical anomalies were found on examination of the airplane.
Factual narrative
On May 24, 1994, at 1150 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R- 201, registered to the University of North Dakota, and operated by a student pilot, lost directional control on landing on runway 35R (3,900' X 75' dry/concrete) at the Grand Forks International Airport, Grand Forks, North Dakota. The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with a runway sign and the terrain. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. The solo instructional flight had filed a VFR flight plan. The last point of departure was Jamestown, North Dakota, at 1056.
The pilot stated that he had difficulty making the airplane turn to the right, while he felt it required "heavy" control to turn left.
A policeman who observed the track of the airplane indicated that there were skid marks from the right landing gear going off the runway.
A subsequent examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical problems with either brake.
The landing was performed on runway 35R. The winds at the approximate time of the accident were reported as 340 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N804ND
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2837004
- Airframe hours
- 3,787
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 5, 1994 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- JMS · Jamestown, ND
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GFK · Grand Forks, runway 35R, 3,900 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 37 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N804ND · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.