Piper PA-28-180 accident near Makoti, North Dakota, November 15, 1992
On November 15, 1992 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7057W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Makoti, North Dakota (Makoti Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING A PROPER GLIDEPATH DURING HIS APPROACH TO LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1992 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Makoti, North Dakota · Makoti Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7057W · registry record · serial 28-829
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS APPROACHING THE SNOW COVERED SOD RUNWAY AT A SLOW SPEED. HE SAID HE PITCHED THE AIRPLANE DOWNWARD AFTER CROSSING WIRES WHICH WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY'S THRESHOLD. HE STATED HE '...DROPPED THE NOSE TO GET IN.' SHORTLY AFTER THIS ACTION THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AND BOUNCED INTO THE AIR. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED POWER AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED ONTO THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND SLID TO A STOP.
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
- Flight time: 665 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 620 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1992; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360A-3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ND43 Minot ND at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,300 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from MOT, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.