Piper PA28 accident near Mankato, Minnesota, December 20, 2017
On December 20, 2017 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2001 Piper PA28, registered N284MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mankato, Minnesota (Mankato Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and subsequent go-around during which the student exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2017 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mankato, Minnesota · Mankato Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161, built 2001 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N284MK · registry record · serial 2842135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced hard. She added power to go around, and as the airplane became airborne, it began to drift to the left. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and collided with a golf cart adjacent to the runway, which was occupied by the student pilot's flight instructor. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The chief pilot of the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 4 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 080° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,745.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 1,842 hours total
- Operator: North Star Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: MKT Mankato MN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MKT Mankato MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KMKT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.