Piper PA-23-150 accident near Grand Rapids, Minnesota, January 13, 1992
On January 13, 1992 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-150, registered N255W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Rapids, Minnesota (Grand Rapids 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 PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR BY THE ALTERNATE SYSTEM. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1992 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Minnesota · Grand Rapids · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-150 · all PA-23-150s on the register
- Registration
- N255W · no longer on the register · serial 23-451
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN LOST POWER COMPLETELY. WHEN ATTEMPTS TO RESTART WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, HE FEATHERED THE PROPELLER AND TURNED TOWARDS THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO LAND. HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, BUT DID NOT GET A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. WITH ENGINE DRIVEN HYDRAULIC PRESSURE UNAVAILABLE FOR GEAR EXTENSION, EMERGENCY MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION IS REQUIRED. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION, AND JUDGED A GO-AROUND TO BE INADVISABLE. HE SIDE-STEPPED AND LANDED ON THE SNOW-COVERED GROUND ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE PARTIALLY EXTENDED LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED UPON TOUCHDOWN AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP NOSE DOWN IN THE SNOW. THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS DUE TO A FAILED VALVE IN THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER.
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: 1,223 hours in all; 157 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,152 as pilot in command; 639 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1991; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis MN at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.