- Date
- March 28, 1982, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Devils Lake, ND
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4709HPiper PA-11
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820328006089A
- Case key
- 70471
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 and passenger/pilot were making low, slow passes over fisherman on the ice. The pilot reversed directions and the aircraft stalled. The pilot stated he was looking at the ground and became distracted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4709H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11497
- Airframe hours
- 3,499
- Engine
- Continental C-90-8F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kevin W. Frith/Kelby Eidsness
- Registered owner
- Kevin W. Frith/Kelby Eidsness
- Departed
- DVL · Devils Lake, ND
- Destination
- DVL · Devils Lake, ND
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 40 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 91 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DVL, 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.
Other investigations on N4709H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.