Piper PA-38-112 accident near Lake Elmo, Minnesota, September 22, 1984
On September 22, 1984 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N25687, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Elmo, Minnesota (Lake Elmo 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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1984 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Lake Elmo, Minnesota · Lake Elmo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N25687 · registry record · serial 38-81A0054
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 13 AND 'RIGHT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT COLLAPSED.' THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED 50 FEET TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 13. THE PILOT RECORDED ONLY A TOTAL OF 4 HOURS OF NIGHT TIME, 2 HOURS AS PIC.
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: 822 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 51 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,596 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 16, 1984; 900 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from STP, 30 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N25687 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.