Piper PA-38-112 accident near Glenwood, Minnesota, August 17, 1997
On August 17, 1997 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N23236, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glenwood, Minnesota (Glenwood Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the student pilot to maintain the correct airspeed for a go-around maneuver, which resulted in a stall/mush and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1997 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Glenwood, Minnesota · Glenwood Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N23236 · no longer on the register · serial 38-81A0106
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The wind was coming from the right side of the runway. The student pilot said he planned to make a crosswind landing, using the crab to slip method. He said that as the airplane approached the runway threshold, he applied left rudder and neglected to apply right aileron. The airplane drifted to the runway's left side. The pilot said he applied full power to go around. He said that after applying full power, he felt the airplane begin to sink. Shortly after pitching the airplane up, the airplane stalled. The main landing gear contacted the ground first, followed shortly by the nose gear. The pilot said the nose gear collapsed and the airplane continued its landing roll. The airplane nosed over a short time later. The pilot recalled having received training in go-arounds. He said he recalled doing 2 while receiving dual about 6 months before the accident. He said he had made two go-arounds during solo flight sessions, but could not recall when.
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: student
- Flight time: 34 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,007 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 53D at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 53D
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from GHW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.