- Date
- June 4, 1989, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N38329Piper PA-38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890604015549A
- Case key
- 34801
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
Misjudgement of altitude and distance by the student and inadequate supervision of flight by the instructor (CFI). Contributing factors were: unfavorable wind conditions, high vegetation (grass), and a ditch.
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 instructor (CFI) stated that while the student was practicing a simulated emergency landing, it became evident the acft would land short of the rwy. The CFI took control of the acft & added full power to go around. However, the acft continued to settle & contacted grass on the overrun. The plt said the grass 'dragged the airplane downward causing the main gear to contact the surface.' At about that time, the acft encountered a gust which caused it to weathervane. The acft then swerved to the left, contacted the terrain with the left wing, spun around & hit a ditch. The instructor had a total flight time of 369 hrs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38329
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A1124
- Airframe hours
- 1,337
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2A, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Marsh, Terry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 24, 1989 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- 8Y2
- Airport
- 8Y2 · Buffalo, runway 35, 2,600 × 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
- 22
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 369 total · 25 in this make and model · 304 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FCM, 40 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.