Piper PA-23-250 accident near Lindstrom, Minnesota, November 14, 1990
On November 14, 1990 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N653AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lindstrom, Minnesota. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LEFT ENGINE FAILURE FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 1990 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lindstrom, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N653AA · registry record · serial 27-3943
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE PRACTICING SLOW FLIGHT, THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PROPELLER WENT INTO FEATHER. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE LEFT ENGINE, WHILE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE IN A SOFT, FARM FIELD. THE GEAR DOWN LANDING RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, LANDING GEAR, AND PROPELLER. POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE FAILED TO REVEAL THE REASON FOR THE POWER LOSS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 137 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,842 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 30, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arrowhead Airways INC.
The flight
- Departed from: D97 St Paul MN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: ANE Blaine MN
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Observation at 9:52 pm from MPS, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI91LA027.