Piper PA-44-180 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, February 13, 1994
On February 13, 1994 at about 8:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N190ND, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks Intl. airport). It was an instructional 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 improper maintenance installation (cotter pin) by other maintenance personnel. Factors were main landing gear scissors not safetied properly and extension of landing gear not possible by pilot-in-command (CFI).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 1994 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N190ND · no longer on the register · serial 4495002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED FOR LANDING, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND AN UNSAFE GEAR WARNING WAS RECEIVED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO ASSURE THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED INCLUDING REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT NORMAL AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION. UPON LANDING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A COTTER PIN ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SCISSORS HAD BEEN OPEN AND CAUGHT A WIRING BUNDLE IN THE WHEEL WELL WHICH PREVENTED THE DOWN LOCK FROM ENGAGING.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,417 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,251 as pilot in command; 675 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,351 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 7, 1994; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1H6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17L, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 27.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from GFK, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N190ND the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.