Piper PA-34-220T accident near Alexandria, Minnesota, December 23, 1999
On December 23, 1999 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N8417A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alexandria, Minnesota (Chandler Field). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate inflight decision to continue flight into icing conditions. An additional cause was the directional control not maintained by the pilot. Contributing factors were the viewable area of the aircraft's heated windshield panel, in-flight icing conditions, the snow covered runway, haze, runway edge lights and the runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1999 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Alexandria, Minnesota · Chandler Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8417A · registry record · serial 8133175
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing rollout, the airplane veered off the snow-covered runway and impacted runway lights and a sign. The airplane's windshield had an 1/8-1/4 inch of ice accumulation. The pilot was issued a Center Weather Advisory (CWA) while en route to the destination airport. The CWA reported patchy severe mixed icing in clouds and precipitation with a chance of severe clear icing. The left and right side pilot windshields of a standard PA-34 were found to have rectangular areas of approximately 23 inches by 32 inches. The heated windshield plate area was approximately 3-1/2 inches by 7-1/2 inches.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,788 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,710 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,838 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1999; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Ft Collins CO at 2:10 pm
- Destination: AXN MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:13 pm from AXN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.