Piper PA-28-151 accident near Fessenden, North Dakota, July 17, 1997
On July 17, 1997 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N41371, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fessenden, North Dakota (Fessenden Municipal 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's premature liftoff and/or failure to abort the takeoff while there was sufficient runway remaining.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1997 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fessenden, North Dakota · Fessenden Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N41371 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he initiated a soft field takeoff using the manufacturer's procedures. He said the airplane lifted off about halfway down the dry sod runway. While in ground effect, the airplane descended and touched down. The pilot was able to get the airplane airborne a second time, only to have it touchdown again. Shortly after getting the airplane airborne a third time, its main landing gear collided with the edge of a highway next to the departure end of the runway. The pilot said the road was about 3 to 5 feet above the runway's elevation. The state aeronautics commission found the road was about 1 foot 6 inches above the runway's elevation. The pilot stated he did not abort the takeoff after the airplane first touched down, because he said the airplane had enough airspeed to get into the air. The pilot said he used the stop way and runway for takeoff. The runway was 2,940 feet long, the stop way was 550 feet long. A 300 foot stop way was located at the runway's departure end. (Depending on the type of takeoff/airspeed used), the airplane required between 1,600 and 2,250 feet of hard surface runway to rotate for takeoff, according to the POH.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 579 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 161 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 455 as pilot in command; 74 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,143 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1997; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D24
- Destination: D24
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,940 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from JMS, 63 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.