Piper PA-28-181 accident near Rochester, Minnesota, December 8, 1991
On December 8, 1991 at about 6:41 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8411A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rochester, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER USE OF AUTOPILOT DURING APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN PROPER ALIGNMENT NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TURBULENCE AND CROSSWINDS, OVER CONFIDENCE IN AIRCRAFT'S CAPABILITY AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 1991 · about 6:41 am local time
- Place
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8411A · no longer on the register · serial 28-8190274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID WHILE FLYING A COUPLER AUTOPILOT INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT AT ROCHESTER, TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE MIDDLE MARKER. SUBSTANTIAL DEFLECTIONS OF THE OBS/GS INDICATOR WERE OBSERVED. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN ABOUT 4000 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY. A CROSSWIND OF 17 KNOTS, 50 DEGREES TO THE RUNWAY HEADING WAS PRESENT DURING THE APPROACH.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 325 hours in all; 325 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Filmore County Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: D42 Springfield MN at 5:30 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 17 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Observation at 6:56 am from RST, 1 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.
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.