- Date
- March 15, 1995, 18:00 local (Mar 16, 1995, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeville, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2928APiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950315004889A
- Case key
- 9856
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 misjudged distance and altitude during landing.
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 undershot the runway during landing. The airplane contacted runway end lights located at the end of the 400 foot displaced threshold.
Factual narrative
On March 15, 1995, at 1800 central standard time, a Piper PA-32- 300, N2928A, undershot runway 29 and collided with runway lights at the Airlake Airport, Lakeville, Minnesota, while on a personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Webster, Wisconsin, at 1710 central standard time.
The pilot reported that while on short final another airplane, a Cessna 172, flew over the top of his airplane. He reported that the only way to avoid hitting the Cessna 172, was to "drop" his airplane onto the runway. The airplane contacted runway end lights located at the end of the 400 foot displaced threshold.
Several witnesses reported to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector that the pilot of N2928A was gaining distance on another airplane in front of it in the traffic pattern and to avoid hitting that airplane the pilot of N2928A landed short on the runway.
The pilot stated he could not locate his logbook after the accident. The pilot did not have a current medical certificate at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2928A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7940212
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Knutson
- Registered owner
- Modern Aero Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Y05 · Webster, WI
- Destination
- Y12
- Airport
- Y12 · Airlake, runway 29, 4,100 × 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Expired
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 15 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.