Piper PA-46-310P accident near South St. Paul, Minnesota, March 31, 2002
On March 31, 2002 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N9103Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near South St. Paul, Minnesota (South St. Paul airport). 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to an electrical short of the P-lead, and loose fuel line connection as a result of improper maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2002 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- South St. Paul, Minnesota · South St. Paul · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9103Q · no longer on the register · serial 4608027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a river after it experienced a complete loss of engine power after an engine fire in cruise flight. The pilot reported the preflight and takeoff were normal. He leveled off about 1,100 feet agl in order to stay below Class B airspace. He activated the standby vacuum pump and noted that it was operating properly. About 1-2 seconds after activating the vacuum pump, the alternator annunciator light came on. The two passengers smelled something burning about 2 seconds after the alternator annunciator light came on. The pilot reported that about 2 seconds later the engine lost power abruptly, without any roughness or surging. He decided to make a forced landing to the river. The examination of the engine compartment revealed an area of heat and fire damage near the top of the engine. Bare wires on the P-leads were found in the area of the heat damage. When the magnetos were checked, it was observed that the P-leads were grounded and no electrical current was getting to the magnetos. Further examination of the engine revealed that a B-nut fuel line connector on the fuel line that came from the engine driven fuel pump through the engine baffling was loose. The loose fuel connector was adjacent to the burned area where the P-leads were burned through. The engine logbook indicated that prior to the accident flight, the oil and oil filter had been changed. The standby vacuum pump was also replaced. The fuel line that was found with the loose B-nut was located directly above the standby vacuum pump.
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: 2,022 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 2002; 36.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BEIG (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGS South St. Paul MN at 4:00 pm
- Destination: SLB Storm Lake IA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from SGS, 4 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9103Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.