Piper PA-28 accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota, September 25, 1988
On September 25, 1988 at about 3:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N6151W, was destroyed in an accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota (Hutchinson Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE STUDENT RATED PILOT TO USE PROPER CONTROL INPUTS AND PROCEDURES TO REGAIN AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE EXECUTING A GO-AROUND FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. THE PILOTS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE CAUSE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1988 · about 3:28 pm local time
- Place
- Hutchinson, Minnesota · Hutchinson Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N6151W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20170
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT WAS OBSERVED PRACTICING LANDINGS. ONE WITNESS RPRTD THE WIND HAD SHIFTED TO A X-WIND & THE STUDENT HAD CHANGED FROM RWY 15 TO RWY 33. AFTER 2 UNREMARKABLE TOUCH-&-GO LANDINGS, HE APCHD FOR ANOTHER LANDING. A PLT WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT BALLOONED DRG THE FLARE & SUBSEQUENTLY BOUNCED AFTER TOUCHING DOWN LONG. THE STUDENT APPLIED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND, BUT AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT CONTD IN AN ARC TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE APRX 200' LEFT OF THE RWY, THEN THE ACFT DSCNDD IN A LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE & CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND DRG THE INVESTIGATION.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,043 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1988; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,206 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from RWK, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.