Piper PA-28-180 N41910

Summary

On 13 December 1999 at about 00:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N41910 was involved in an accident near Mankato, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 December 1999 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mankato, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.1600, -93.9893

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N41910

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orleans → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI00LA041

2 people had minor injuries.

the pilots failure to maintain a proper glidepath. Factors were the dark night and the pilots lack of recent night flying experience.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with trees while landing at night. An on scene examination of the aircraft found no anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. In his written statement, the pilot listed no mechanical malfunction. The pilot stated that he '... was experiencing the classic optical illusion of thinking I was closer to the approach end of the runway, than I actually was.' The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by receiving additional night dual instruction and a visual approach slope indicator (VASI) on runway 22. According to the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD), runway 22 has a VASI system that is activated using the aircraft radio tuned to the airport common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). According to a statement from the airport manager, three flight instructors that operated aircraft during the late afternoon and early evening on the day of the accident were contacted. All three flight instructors indicated that the VASI lights were operational at the time of their flights. On the day following the accident, the airport maintenance manager conducted a daily inspection and determined that the VASI system was operational and in working order.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.