Piper PA-23-160 accident near Cannonball, North Dakota, February 20, 1993
On February 20, 1993 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N4229P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cannonball, North Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE BLOCKAGE OF THE INLET AIR FILTER FROM SNOW.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1993 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cannonball, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N4229P · no longer on the register · serial 23-1725
- 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 WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,000' AGL, THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER. HE STATED HE NOTED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AND HE FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND HE DID NOT THINK HE COULD MAKE IT BACK TO AN AIRPORT, SO HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE GEAR-UP ON A RIVER BED. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE LEFT ENGINE INLET AIR FILTER WAS BLOCKED BY SNOW. THE RIGHT ENGINE FILTER WAS ALSO FOUND CONTAMINATED WITH SNOW. SPARK PLUG INSPECTION REVEALED THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING WITH A RICH MIXTURE.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 630 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command; 130 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 28, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hif, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PHP Philip SD at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Y19 Mandan ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from BIS, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.