Piper PA-23-250 accident near Faribault, Minnesota, June 3, 2006
On June 3, 2006, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N63790, was substantially damaged in an accident near Faribault, Minnesota (Faribault Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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
Directional control not obtained/maintained by the pilot during landing. A contributing factor was the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2006
- Place
- Faribault, Minnesota · Faribault 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-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N63790 · registry record · serial 27-7754117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway during landing and impacted a ditch. The pilot stated that he attempted to correct to the left when the airplane veered hard to the right upon touchdown. Examination of the accident site revealed two sets of skid marks on the runway and two sets of tire marks through the adjacent grass area that preceded the airplane. Both tire skids/marks were similar. None of the tires had flat spotting and all of the tires were in good condition. The airplane came to rest about 57 feet from the left side of the runway, facing about 180 degrees opposite to runway 30. Operation of the brake system showed no anomalies. The steering system linkage was found to be operative to the nose gear trunnion. The nose landing gear and right main landing gear were collapsed. All components of the landing gear system were present and associated breakage was consistent with impact damage. .
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
- Flight time: 274 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 144 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,898.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MFI Marshfield WI at 10:45 pm
- Destination: FBL Faribault MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,254 ft by 72 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from FBL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.