Piper PA-28-235 accident near Tartu, Ee, May 4, 2012
On May 4, 2012 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered YLMED, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Tartu (Tartu Ulenurme Airport). It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 3 people had minor injuries. 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
- May 4, 2012 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Tartu, Estonia · Tartu Ulenurme Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- YLMED · no longer on the register · serial 28-11377
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 4, 2012, about 2055 universal coordinated time, a Piper PA-28-235, Latvian registration YL-MED, was substantially damaged when it impacted a ditch, during a forced landing at night after a loss of power near Tartu Ulenurme Airport (EETU), Tartu, Estonia. The flight instructor and his two students received minor injuries. This accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau Harju st. 11 Talinn 15072 Estonia This report is for informational purposes and contains only information released by the Government of Estonia
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 26, 5,902 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.55 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from EETU, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
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.