Piper PA28 accident near Pinecreek, Minnesota, May 17, 2021
On May 17, 2021 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA28, registered N416RP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pinecreek, Minnesota (Piney Pinecreek Border airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2021 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pinecreek, Minnesota · Piney Pinecreek Border · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 151, built 1974 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N416RP · registry record · serial 28-7415310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was performing a touch-and-go landing with a gusting crosswind when during the landing flare, the wind gust increased, and the left wing raised up. The pilot added more crosswind control inputs, but overcorrected. The airplane yawed left and the pilot lost control of the airplane. The airplane departed the side of the runway and impacted the terrain coming to rest in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 33 with wind from 270o at 9 knots with gusts to 19 knots. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he would have performed a go-around.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 56.5 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 12.8 in the last 30 days; 20.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 29, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,881 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 15, 2021; 11.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 3,101 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCKN Crookston ND at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 3,297 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KROX, 13 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2021. 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 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.