Piper PA-44-180 accident near Fertile, Minnesota, September 7, 2005
On September 7, 2005 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N291ND, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fertile, Minnesota (Fertile Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2005 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fertile, Minnesota · Fertile Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N291ND · no longer on the register · serial 446022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted during an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that they were working on single-engine approaches and landings when the accident occurred. The flight instructor stated that a "midfield check was done and said, but was not verified." The flight instructor reported that "since we had heard the gear warning horn for so long during the airwork, I no longer noticed anymore." The flight instructor stated that they "did not do our final landing check" and that the airplane landed with "the gear in the up position."
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
Flight instructor
- 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: 772 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 154 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 551 as pilot in command; 511 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 172 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,860.6 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 1, 2005; 32.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,816 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-A1H6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GFK Grand Forks ND at 7:00 pm
- Destination: D14 Fertile MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,002 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from FSE, 22 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.