Piper PA-28 accident near Lakeville, Minnesota, November 23, 1997
On November 23, 1997, a Piper PA-28, registered N1447H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeville, Minnesota (Airlake 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
geese that were encounter on an ILS final approach. Darkness 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
- November 23, 1997
- Place
- Lakeville, Minnesota · Airlake
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N1447H · registry record · serial 28-7725144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported they were flying a practice ILS-Localizer approach and had intercepted the localizer when the airplane collided with waterfowl. The flight continued to the airport, where an successful landing was made. Postaccident inspection revealed the airplane had been struck by approximately 10 geese.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 528 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 527 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,737 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 1997; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCM Minneapolis MN at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Y12
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -4°F (-20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI98LA045.