Piper PA-23-250 accident near Greenbush, Minnesota, October 3, 1984
On October 3, 1984 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N37JL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenbush, Minnesota (Greenbush Municipal Arpt. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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
- October 3, 1984 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Greenbush, Minnesota · Greenbush Municipal Arpt. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N37JL · registry record · serial 27-2600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FOLLOWING AN UNEVENTFUL APPROACH AND LANDING, THE PLT WAS TAXIING BACK UP THE RUNWAY WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER IMMEDIATELY NOTED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND NOTIFIED THE PLT, WHO SWUNG THE ACFT INTO POSITON FOR WIND TO KEEP FLAMES FROM THE WING WHILE SECURING BOTH ENGINE FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVES, HEATER FUEL SHUT-OFF AND THE ACFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PLT ORDERED EVACUATION AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE WITH HAND-HELD EXTINGUISHER. FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES UNTIL LOCAL FIRE DEPT PUT OUT FLAMES. DAMAGE PRECLUDED DETERMINATION OF FIRE SOURCE, BELIEVED TO BE A BROKEN LINE OR SEPARATED FITTING IN THE ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWES A QUANTITY OF FUEL TO COLLECT IN THE NACELLE BEFORE ENGINE QUIT FROM FUEL STARVATION, FIRE IGNITED, AND PLT CLOSED SHUT-OFF VALVE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,945 hours in all; 162 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 1,713 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,899 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1984; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: STP St. Paul MN at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 02Y Greenbush MN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 1,897 ft by 192 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:55 pm
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.