Piper PA-28-180 accident near Willmar, Minnesota, November 13, 1997
On November 13, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N8886J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willmar, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper planning/decision, his continued flight into known adverse weather, and subsequent fuel exhaustion, which resulted in loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, the pilot's lack of an instrument flight experience, and darkness at the time of the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Willmar, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8886J · no longer on the register · serial 28-2860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed at 1100 MST. He had intended to land at Imperial, Nebraska, for fuel, but instrument weather conditions precluded him from landing. He continued to fly to his destination airport and reported there were 'no holes in the clouds' between Nebraska and Minnesota. He was flying at 11,500 feet msl. About 30 minutes from Willmar, Minnesota, he radioed a Flight Service Station and started a descent into instrument meteorological conditions. He did not possess an instrument flight rating. The pilot reported the engine lost power, but he switched fuel tanks, and the engine restarted. The engine lost power again a short time later when the airplane was about 300 feet above ground level. The pilot executed a forced landing onto a farm. The pilot reported that he 'should have just used my GPS and went in on runway 10 before I ran out of gas.'
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 223 hours in all; 223 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 164 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,720 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1997; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ILL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:17 pm from ILL, 6 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.