- Date
- June 21, 1989, 16:28 local (21:28 UTC)
- Place
- Bemidji, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6513YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890621016809A
- Case key
- 34816
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 continued approach and landing by the pilot in known adverse weather. Contributing factors were the weather conditions and the 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 pilot reported that when he returned to the airport to land, a line of dark clouds was next to the downwind leg for runway 31. During the final approach segment, the aircraft encountered heavy rain and turbulence. Initially, the pilot attempted a go-around, then decided to continue the landing. During the landing, strong/gusty winds were encountered and the aircraft touched down on the adjacent grass area. Subsequently, the aircraft was damaged when it crossed a ditch and came to rest on a public road.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6513Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-3804
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bemidji Aviation Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bemidji Aviation Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 15, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- BJI
- Airport
- BJI · Bemidji, runway 31, 6,598 × 150 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,550 total · 90 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJI, 1 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.