Piper PA-23E-250 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, August 26, 1986
On August 26, 1986 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-23E-250, registered N900TS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks-Mark Andrews airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 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
- August 26, 1986 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks-Mark Andrews · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23E-250 · all PA-23E-250s on the register
- Registration
- N900TS · registry record · serial 27-7405429
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS EN ROUTE FROM FLIN FLON AIRPORT, MANITOBA, CD, TO MASON CITY, IA, AND HAD STOPPED AT GRAND FORKS, ND, FOR FUEL AND TO CLEAR CUSTOMS. DURING TAXI FOR TAKEOFF, THE ACFT STRUCK A 1-INCH CONCRETE LIP ON THE RAMP AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE ACTUATOR ROD END WAS BENT AND ONE OF FOUR SPRINGS ON THE OVERCENTER CAM DEVICE WAS DETACHED FROM ITS PROPER ATTACH POINT AND WAS EXCESSIVELY STRETCHED. WITH THE ACFT ON JACKS THE SPRING WAS REATTACHED AND THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED, TRAPPING THE SPRING BETWEEN THE DOWNLOCK SWITCH AND THE DOWNLOCK OVERCENTER MECHANISM. WITH SOME WEIGHT APPLIED TO THE LANDING GEAR, A FIRM UPWARD PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE OVERCENTER DEVICE AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. FURTHER TESTS REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE DID NOT ALWAYS CATCH THE SAFETY LATCH WHEN PLACED IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION, AND THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THE SELECTOR TO GO FROM DOWN TO UP WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE LATCH.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,725 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 4,225 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GFK at 6:55 pm
- Destination: MCW Mason City IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.