Piper PA-11 accident near Sherwood, North Dakota, April 11, 2000
On April 11, 2000 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N5548B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sherwood, North Dakota. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
carburetor ice and the pilot's improper decisions when to use carburetor heat and to perform a soft field landing. Factors relating to this accident were the improper use of carburetor heat, the soft field landing attempt, and the snow covered field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2000 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sherwood, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N5548B · registry record · serial 11-1053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said that he was flying over his home to look for an area on which to put in an airstrip. 'When I was making an approach at one location, I added power to the plane and there was no power.' The pilot said he checked the carburetor heat and it was on. The pilot elected to set the airplane down on the field. 'As the plane was slowing down, the wheels dropped through the snow and the plane flipped on its back.' Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The temperature and dew point reported at Minot International Airport, Minot, North Dakota (212 degrees and 51 nautical miles from the accident site) were 37 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and 19 degrees F. According to the DOT/FAA Publication CT- 82/44, Light Airplane Piston Engine Carburetor Ice Detector/Warning Device Sensitivity/Effectiveness, June 1982, with a temperature of 37 degrees F, and a dew point of 19 degrees F, the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart shows icing occurring at glide and cruise 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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,482 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 2000; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D64 Westhope ND at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 pm from MOT, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.