Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Fargo, North Dakota, September 17, 1997
On September 17, 1997 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N2680Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fargo, North Dakota (Hector International airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of altitude and distance to the runway, while on final approach to land, and failure to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway during the landing. The exposed runway lip was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1997 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · Hector International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N2680Q · registry record · serial 32R7780261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane touched down prior to the approach end of the runway. The end of the runway was approximately five inches higher than the surrounding terrain on which the airplane touched down. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the landing gear contacted the lip at the end of the runway.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,872 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 8, 1997; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PQN Pipestone MN at 5:00 pm
- Destination: FAR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,387 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from FAR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI97LA294.