- Date
- November 26, 1994, 16:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Dickinson, ND
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2127DPiper PA-44-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941126039309A
- Case key
- 9803
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 flight instructor (CFI) misjudged the flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather (icing) condition, structural ice, windshield ice, darkness, and the lack of visual cues for the pilot to land.
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
During a flight at night, the airplane began to accumulate ice on the structure and on the windshield. The instructor requested an altitude change and diverted to another airport. The windshield became covered with ice, which resulted in the instructor landing the airplane by using the instruments and by looking out the side window. A hard landing occurred which resulted in damage to the airplane.
Factual narrative
On November 26, 1994, about 1650 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-44-180, N2127D, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Dickinson Municipal Airport, Dickinson, North Dakota. The flight instructor, student pilot, and two passengers aboard the airplane were not injured. The instructional flight originated at the Cutbank Municipal Airport, Cutbank, Montana, at 1330, with an intended destination of Bismark, North Dakota. An IFR flight plan was filed, and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The flight instructor reported the flight encountered freezing rain, and began to accrue ice on the windshield and structure of the airplane. The instructor requested an altitude change. He stated the ice accumulation lessened but they were still picking up some ice. The instructor requested the weather conditions at both Bismark and Dickinson. He made the decision to divert the flight to Dickinson for landing.
The instructor stated he flew the VOR-A approach to the airport then entered a downwind for landing on runway 07. He stated the windshield had accumulated ice so he landed the airplane using the instruments and by looking out the side window. The instructor stated the airplane touched down hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2127D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-7995131
- Airframe hours
- 4,723
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E1A6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Northstar Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 17, 1994 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- CTB · Cutbank, MT
- Destination
- BIS · Bismark, ND
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DIK · Dickinson Municipal, runway 7, 3,405 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 677 total · 84 in this make and model · 553 as pilot in command · 111 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 2.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DIK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.