Piper PA-28-140 accident near Pine City, Minnesota, April 2, 2000
On April 2, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N54454, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pine City, Minnesota. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the failure of the number four cylinder's exhaust valve spring and exhaust valve. Contributing to the accident were, the barbwire fence and the clump of high vegetation encountered by the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pine City, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N54454 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7425135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane encountered an in-flight loss of engine power and sustained substantial damage on impact with a fence and vegetation during a forced landing in a field. The pilot had minor injury. The passenger was uninjured. The engine's number four cylinder's exhaust valve spring and valve were found failed. The valve spring had a 45-degree fracture approximately 0.75 inches from an end. The valve head was found with approximately a third of its' face fractured off. A section of valve head was found within the cylinder. The valve head's face and head section had indentations. The pilot stated, 'With the lake to our west, a bunch of trees to our north, a house to our south behind us, when the engine quit. I chose to turn 90[degrees] to the east fly under some high tension wires, which I knew I could do safely, to a field on the other side. The field was not very wide, but I felt it was safer for landing without any houses close by. Being 200 to 300 feet above the ground I didn't have the altitude to turn 180[degrees] and land in the field below. I could not get stopped in the narrow field, so consequently we went through the barb wire fence on the east side and hit a clump of bushes with our left wing, which brought us to a stop.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 875 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 802 as pilot in command; 521 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,350 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 11, 2000; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JMR Mora MN at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from JMR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.