Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lansing, Illinois, February 8, 2011
On February 8, 2011 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4643R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lansing, Illinois (Lansing Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2011 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Illinois · Lansing Municipal 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
- N4643R · no longer on the register · serial 28-21397
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that she was in the airplane's right seat and was performing takeoffs and landings. The pilot stated that the airplane began skidding on the snow and weathervaning into the wind during the landing roll. The airplane subsequently went off the runway and into the snow, causing substantial damage to the airplane's right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the accident flight.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 309 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 26, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,334 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 05C Griffith IN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 05C Griffith IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 5:25 pm from IGQ
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.
Other NTSB records under N4643R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.