Piper PA-28-180 accident near Imperial, Nebraska, October 15, 2005
On October 15, 2005 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3428R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Imperial, Nebraska. 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
The pilot not maintaining airplane control during the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2005 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Imperial, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3428R · registry record · serial 28-5678
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage when the airplane impacted terrain following a loss of airplane control during takeoff. The student pilot's accident report stated, "A few feet into take off, shortly into take off a gust of wind/cross wind hit from the north, lifting the right wing off the ground causing the plane to bicycle to the left. (south) When I realized the airplane was out of control I turned off the fuel pump, turned off fuel to idle [and] set the mixture to lean, then reached up to have exit door ready for exit. The airplane came to a sudden stop in soft dirt which broke the front nose gear [and] bent the prop [and] the left wing struck a fence post which paralleled the runway."
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IML Imperial NE at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from IML
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.