Piper PA-28-161 accident near Crookston, Minnesota, October 1, 2008
On October 1, 2008 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N251ND, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Crookston, Minnesota (Crookston Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A contributing factor was the student pilot's limited flight experience. Additional factors were the presence of the ditch adjacent to the runway and the resulting collapse of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2008 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Crookston, Minnesota · Crookston Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N251ND · registry record · serial 2842042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he was established on final approach for runway 31 (4,300 feet by 75 feet, dry asphalt) and "everything was on track." When the airplane crossed the threshold, he reduced engine power and began the landing flare. After touchdown, the student pilot applied the brakes, which resulted in a skid and he was unable to maintain control. The airplane subsequently departed the runway pavement and came to rest in a ditch. The left main landing gear collapsed. The student pilot was performing his first landing on his initial solo flight at the time of the accident. He noted that the skies were clear and the winds were calm. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 13 hours total flight time, with 9 hours in the same make and model airplane. A post accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies associated with a pre impact failure or malfunction.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,703 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 26, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,447 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Und Aerospace Foundation
The flight
- Departed from: CKN Crookston MN at 6:15 pm
- Destination: CKN Crookston MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm from CKN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA008.