Piper PA-25-235 accident near Forest Lake, Minnesota, July 4, 2026
On July 4, 2026 at about 2:42 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA-25-235, registered N386AB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Forest Lake, Minnesota. It was a banner-towing 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2026 · about 2:42 pm local time
- Place
- Forest Lake, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235, built 1966 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N386AB · registry record · serial 25-3790
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 4, 2026, about 0942 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235 airplane, N386AB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Forest Lake, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91 banner tow flight. The pilot reported that he completed a normal preflight inspection and engine runup. After a successful banner hook, the airplane struggled to climb. The pilot increased the throttle and fuel mixture to full, but the airplane could not maintain level flight. The pilot jettisoned the banner, and the airplane continued to lose altitude. The pilot conducted a forced landing into trees resulting in substantial damage to both wings, rudder, and vertical stabilizer. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to FAA Special Airworthiness Bulletin CE-09-35, weather at the time of the accident was conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide power. The pilot reported that he did not turn on the carburetor heat when troubleshooting the loss of engine power.
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 takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,997.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Plane And Simple Leasing LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 25D Forrest Lake MN at 2:39 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from KANE, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KANE 041345Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 22/19 A3003
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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 CEN26LA242.