Piper PA-28-180 accident near Fargo, North Dakota, July 26, 1986
On July 26, 1986 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7592W, was destroyed in an accident near Fargo, North Dakota (Hector Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1986 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · Hector Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7592W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1557
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTS THAT THE FLT WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 7,000 FT APPROACHING THE DEST ARPT WHEN THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOST PWR. THE FLT CONTINUED TOWARD TO THE ARPT BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RWY AND LANDED ABOUT 1/4 MI SHORT. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE #3 CYL EXH VALVE WAS BROKEN. SOME PIECES OF THE BROKEN VALVE WERE NOT FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION AND THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: 180 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 115 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,562 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1985; 83 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: LXL Little Falls MN at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 35, 9,546 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from FAR, 1 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.