Piper PA 28-180 accident near Steele, North Dakota, May 12, 2015
On May 12, 2015 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA 28-180, registered N56074, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Steele, North Dakota. 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a collision with objects while attempting to abort the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2015 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Steele, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180 180, built 1973 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N56074 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7305524
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that after landing on his unpublished airstrip, he did not get the airplane slowed down on the wet grass surface. During the landing roll the airplane slid sideways, and the pilot aborted the landing. During the departure climb, the left wheel struck a fence resulting in a loss of control and the impact with a storage structure. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Residence/building › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,265.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 2014; 1.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 2,265 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Steele ND
- Destination: Steele ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from BIS, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 9, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.