Piper PA-28-140 accident near Pawnee City, Nebraska, August 28, 1999
On August 28, 1999 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5535U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pawnee City, Nebraska (Pawnee City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1999 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pawnee City, Nebraska · Pawnee City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5535U · no longer on the register · serial 28-26256
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane took off from a 3,375' turf runway to the northwest. The pilot said he rotated the airplane at 80 mph and started his climb out. At approximately 100 feet above the ground, he noticed the airplane begin to descend. 'The plane started to settle in as if [the] lift was gone.' The pilot checked his airspeed indicator to be sure it read 80 mph or better, which it did. He said he didn't notice any drop in engine power. At this same time, the nose of the airplane began to turn towards the west. 'Nose of the plane was pushed towards [the] left - no wing drop in turn.' The pilot said he remembered clipping at least two trees, but not hitting the ground. Following the accident, the pilot noticed a strong wind out of the southeast. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the wing flaps were up. No other anomalies were found.
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: 189 hours in all; 161 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 133 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,685 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1999; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 50K at 5:45 pm
- Destination: GRI Grand Island NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,375 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from FNB, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.