Piper PA-28-161 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 12, 2011
On February 12, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N536PU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Crystal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Crystal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N536PU · registry record · serial 2841321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine started to run rough upon takeoff and that he had trouble gaining altitude. He returned to the airport and performed a landing with the rough-running engine. After landing, the airplane veered to the left, the main landing gear impacted a snowbank, and the airplane impacted a runway light. A postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies with the airframe. According to the operator, the accident engine was torn down and no anomalies were found. The airport's temperature and dew point were plotted on a carburetor icing chart and their intersection fell in the “serious icing (cruise power)” range.
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 engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
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
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 65 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,730.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 20, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Metro Aircraft CO
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis MN at 7:50 pm
- Destination: MIC Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14L, 3,263 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,600 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MIC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 22, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Miscellaneous - Carburetor Icing Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous - Operator's Engine Teardown Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N536PU on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,621 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G 133 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Crystal Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Minnesota 1,544 since 1982 · 209 in the last ten years
- Minnesota 6,953 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA183.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.