Piper J3C accident near Mankato, Minnesota, January 25, 1998
On January 25, 1998 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C, registered N110RR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mankato, 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and not maintaining proper alignment. Factors contributing to the accident were the snow covered terrain and the lack of depth perception it produced.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1998 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mankato, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C · all J3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N110RR · registry record · serial 19659
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted a landing in a field at a friend's farm after a short flight from a nearby airport. The pilot stated that on approach he noted a crosswind from the left and had the '...left wing low for [the] wind.' The pilot stated the airplane drifted to the right of the centerline of the intended landing site, impacted a pipeline marker pole, and substantially damaged the airplane. The pilot stated that he 'couldn't tell [he] was drifting to [the] north because of [the] snow conditions.'
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Eagle Nest MN at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; scat at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from MKT, 5 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.