Piper PA-18-150 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, February 21, 1994
On February 21, 1994 at about 3:41 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N66ND, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks 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
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR BY THE STUDENT PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 1994 · about 3:41 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N66ND · registry record · serial 1809046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor and pilot rated student were practicing pattern work. The instructor asked the student to switch the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank. The student moved the selector but did not look at it. He inadvertently selected the OFF position. The engine quit, and could not be restarted. The instructor landed the airplane about 50 yards short of the runway. The main landing gear wheels dug into the snow during landing roll, and the airplane nosed-over.
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
- 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: 9,606 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 8,392 as pilot in command; 6,268 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,542 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 5, 1994; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35R, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: -8°F (-22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:49 pm from GFK
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 N66ND 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.