Piper PA-22-108 accident near Spirit Lake, Iowa, December 21, 2005
On December 21, 2005 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N4680Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spirit Lake, Iowa. 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 using an unsuitable runway and not maintaining directional control during the landing leading to the nose over on impact with snow. A factor was the snow that remained on the runway after plowing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2005 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spirit Lake, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N4680Z · registry record · serial 22-8215
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane encountered snow on the runway during landing on a private airstrip and subsequently nosed over. The day prior to the accident the pilot reported that he removed snow from the runway. The pilot stated, "After setting down the left wheel got into the snow on runway edge. Braking and correcting the aircraft caught in the right edge of snow on runway. This pulled the nose wheel into the snow also. At this time the aircraft was slowing down fast. All of a sudden the left wing and nose came over and that was 'all over'."
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 347 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,119 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MJQ Jackson MN at 3:35 pm
- Destination: Spirit Lake IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from SPW
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.