- Date
- January 25, 1998, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mankato, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N110RRPiper J3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980125000529A
- Case key
- 10823
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's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and not maintaining proper alignment. Factors contributing to the accident were the snow covered terrain and the lack of depth perception it produced.
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 attempted a landing in a field at a friend's farm after a short flight from a nearby airport. The pilot stated that on approach he noted a crosswind from the left and had the '...left wing low for [the] wind.' The pilot stated the airplane drifted to the right of the centerline of the intended landing site, impacted a pipeline marker pole, and substantially damaged the airplane. The pilot stated that he 'couldn't tell [he] was drifting to [the] north because of [the] snow conditions.'
Factual narrative
On January 25, 1998, at 1100 central standard time (cst), a Piper J3C, N110RR, was substantially damaged during a collision with a pipeline marker pole during the landing rollout in a farmer's field. The instrument rated commercial pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the time of the accident. The flight departed Eagle Nest, Minnesota, at 1045 cst.
The pilot stated that he was coming into land at a friend's farm field when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that he went over wires and was attempting to land alongside of a road. The pilot said there was a little bit of a wind from the south and that he was landing to the west. He stated that he "...had the left wing low for [the] wind," which hid a pipeline pole. The pilot stated the airplane drifted to the right of the centerline of the intended landing site. He stated that he lost depth perception and could not see because of the fresh snow conditions. The pilot said that "by the time [he] realized it, it was too late..." and the airplane impacted a pipeline marker pole, hitting the right wing strut and resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N110RR
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19659
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter Groskurth
- Registered owner
- Groskurth-Reichel-Lundgren
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PVT · Eagle Nest, 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 4,100 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKT, 5 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.