Piper PA-32-300 accident near Miltona, Minnesota, March 31, 1983
On March 31, 1983 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4186R, was destroyed in an accident near Miltona, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1983 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Miltona, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4186R · no longer on the register · serial 32-40520
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PRIOR TO SEPARTING, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF LOW CEILINGS & POOR VISIBILITY OVER THE ENTIRE PROPOSED ROUTE & WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. IN A DISCUSSION WITH PERSONS AT FERGUS FALLS, MN, HE STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO FOLLOW THE HIGHWAY. ABOUT 20 TO 25 MIN AFTER DEPARTING FERGUS FALLS, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A BARNYARD ON LEVEL TERRAIN. A WITNESS STATED THAT BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED, THE ENG SOUNDED LIKE THE ACFT WAS PERFORMING DIVES & STALLS & THAT THE 'POWER WOULD INCREASE AND THEN SLOW DOWN.' HE THEN SAW THE ACFT COME OUT OF THE OVERCAST AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN ABOUT A 45 DEG NOSE DOWN, 70 TO 80 DEG RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. HE ESTIMATED THAT HE SAW THE ACFT ABOUT 2 SECONDS FROM THE TIME IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. NO PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL PART MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND.
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: 472 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 415 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,777 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1982; 188 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFM Fergis Falls MN at 6:55 pm
- Destination: MFI Marshfield WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 300 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from AXN, 13 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.
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.