Amateur-built PARAKEET A4 REPLICA accident near Faribault, Minnesota, May 4, 2019
On May 4, 2019 at about 7:28 pm local time, a 1978 amateur-built PARAKEET A4 REPLICA, registered N27Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Faribault, Minnesota (Faribault Muni-Liz Wall Strohf airport). 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 improper landing flare with a left crosswind, which resulted in a hard landing, collapsed landing gear, runway excursion, and nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2019 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Faribault, Minnesota · Faribault Muni-Liz Wall Strohf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PARAKEET A4 REPLICA, built 1978
- Registration
- N27Q · registry record · serial JH100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the biplane reported that, while on short final, immediately after crossing the end of the runway and while about 10 ft above ground level, he increased the throttle setting to maintain 60 mph. He added that, about 5 to 8 ft above the ground, the airplane "sank rapidly" and landed hard, and the right landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane veered right, exited the runway, and nosed over. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- 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 › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 351 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 308 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 11, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 662.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 901 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 1,478 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RST Rochester MN at 6:30 pm
- Destination: FBL Faribault MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,257 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KOWA, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 9, 2020. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
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.