Piper PA-18 accident near Fredenberg Township, Minnesota, May 7, 2011
On May 7, 2011 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N195T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fredenberg Township, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 pilot's inadequate directional control during a crosswind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2011 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fredenberg Township, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N195T · registry record · serial 18-2309
- 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 he was attempting to land on an island sandbar with a 6- to 8-knot left crosswind. He stated that he had previously performed the same landing in the accident airplane, which was equipped with oversized tundra tires. As the airplane descended below the nearby treetops, the crosswind component diminished, and the airplane began drifting left of the desired landing path. Shortly after touchdown, the left wingtip collided with shrubs and trees, which caused the airplane to veer into a marsh area. The right main landing gear sunk into the soft terrain, and the right wing impacted terrain. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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 in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 30, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,892 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Duluth MN at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Fredenberg Township MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KDLH, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CEN11LA328.