Piper J-4E accident near White Bear Lake, Minnesota, January 1, 1984
On January 1, 1984 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper J-4E, registered N37996, was substantially damaged in an accident near White Bear Lake, Minnesota (Benson'S 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
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 1984 · about 9:15 pm local time · cases in 1984
- Place
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota · Benson'S · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-4E · all J-4Es on the register
- Registration
- N37996 · registry record · serial 4-1489
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SKI-EQUIPPED ACFT SUFFERED LANDING GEAR FAILURE DURING A LANDING ON A SNOW COVERED TURF RWY. THE LANDING GEAR SEPARATED WHEN AN ATTACH POINT FAILED. THE PLT GAVE FATIGUE FAILURE AS A REASON FOR THE FAILURE.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,017 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 855 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,395 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 1983; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N37996 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper J4 Cub Coupe 197 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental 85-12F · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Minnesota 1,544 since 1982 · 209 in the last ten years
- Minnesota 6,969 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI84LA075.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.