- Date
- November 20, 1988, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lino Lakes, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N12MZPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881120051359A
- Case key
- 34725
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
Shortly after takeoff and climbing to about 150 AGL, the pilot said the engine began sputtering and losing power. Attempts to correct the situation by pumping the throttle and working the engine primer failed to correct the situation, and shortly thereafter the engine lost all power. An emergency ldg was attempted in a soft field resulting in a nose over and substantial damage to the acft. Post accident investigation revealed no malfunction or failure of the engine components, nor any fuel shortage or contamination. Meteorological conditions were conducive for the probability of carburetor icing according to the 'icing probabilty charts'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12MZ
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2930
- Airframe hours
- 1,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ratfield, Dwaine C.
- Registered owner
- Ratfield, Dwaine C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1988 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MN24 · Circle Pines, MN
- Airport
- MN24 · Surfside, runway 2, 1,900 × 125 ft, grass/turf
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °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.