Piper PA 22-150 accident near Princeton, Minnesota, October 28, 2013
On October 28, 2013 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA 22-150, registered N4803A, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Princeton, Minnesota (Princeton Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of airplane control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2013 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, Minnesota · Princeton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 22-150, built 1956 · all PA 22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4803A · no longer on the register · serial 22-3955
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying his airplane to a hunting location. No one witnessed the departure or accident. A postaccident examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane departed the runway and then impacted the ground in a wooded area about 600 feet from the approximate midpoint of the runway. A postimpact fire occurred. An 8-knot crosswind was recorded about the time of the accident. The loaded weight of the airplane could not be determined due to fire damage. Postaccident examinations of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the toxicology report showed that the pilot was exposed to carbon monoxide, the level of exposure would only have resulted in a slight headache. A review of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed that the airplane's tires were replaced with larger tires in accordance with a supplemental type certificate the day before the accident. However, the change would have had a small effect on the performance of the airplane. The evidence indicates that the pilot likely lost airplane control during takeoff.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 719.9 hours in all; 12.8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 10, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,336.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PNM Princeton MN at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 5:33 pm from KPNM
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.
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.