Piper PA-28-140 accident near Hibbing, Minnesota, July 2, 2009
On July 2, 2009 at about 2:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N88FN, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hibbing, Minnesota (Chisholm-Hibbing Airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot mistakenly using a closed taxiway for takeoff, which resulted in the airplane striking a construction barricade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2009 · about 2:08 pm local time
- Place
- Hibbing, Minnesota · Chisholm-Hibbing Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N88FN · registry record · serial 28-26119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a construction barricade while taking off from a closed taxiway. The taxiway was being prepared to be used as a temporary runway during future scheduled maintenance on the airport's main runway. At the time of the accident, the taxiway was closed while it was being painted with the temporary runway markings. However, the main runway was still in use for normal operations. There was an applicable Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) specifying that the taxiway was closed. The pilot stated that he mistakenly identified the taxiway as the active runway when he saw the temporary runway markings. The right main wing spar was substantially damaged when the main landing gear collapsed after striking the construction barricade.
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
- Airport occurrence during taxi (to runway)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Taxiway markings/signage › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wall/barricade › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 40,000 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 35,000 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,943 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHIB Hibbing MN at 2:08 pm
- Destination: 2A1 Jamestown TN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KHIB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN09CA422.