Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Plattsmouth, Nebraska, June 21, 2001
On June 21, 2001 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N5659V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plattsmouth, Nebraska (Plattsmouth Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during the approach and the inadvertent stall that occurred during the forced landing. Factors relating to this accident were the low airspeed, the uphill terrain, and the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2001 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Plattsmouth, Nebraska · Plattsmouth Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N5659V · registry record · serial 32R-7780354
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was flying a practice NDB approach to runway 34. The instructor said they began descending during the procedure turn. They rolled out on the inbound heading of 354 degrees. The instructor pilot said, "I called Omaha approach and they approved a switch to Plattsmouth advisory." While he changed radio frequencies, the student pilot descended to the minimum descent altitude of 1,820 feet mean sea level. At 7 DME the instructor made the radio call to Plattsmouth advisory. The student pilot performed his pre-landing checklist at 5 DME. The gear came down, and the student pilot told the instructor pilot that he turned on the boost pump and switched tanks. The instructor pilot said he did not actually see him do this, but looked over and saw the fuel pump on and the fuel selector switched over to the left tank. The engine instruments all looked normal. At 1.8 DME, the instructor pilot said the manifold pressure and RPMs dropped, and the airplane nosed down. The instructor pilot pushed the control levers full forward and told the student pilot to run the emergency checklist. "...our speed was still only about 80 and it was obvious we were not going to make the runway. We picked up a little speed, but even best glide wouldn't get us to the runway - we were too low for that. The instructor pilot said he looked for the best possible landing site straight ahead between us and the runway. The instructor pilot moved the throttle up and down twice. He said that it seemed very loose. There was no response from the engine. The engine sounded like it was still running. The instructor pilot said they kept the flaps up so they could stretch the glide to clear a tree line. On the other side of the tree line they saw a fence with large fence posts in their path. "We both got on the controls and pulled us over the fence. On the other side the terrain angled up. We flared, the stall warning sounded, the mains hit the ground and then it seemed like the nose wheel hit hard." An examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed no anomalies. The engine was examined 8 days later and showed no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,840 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 156 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 94 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,050 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2001; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OFF Offutt Afb NE at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PMV Plattsmouth NE
- Runway 34, 4,100 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from OFF, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.