Piper PA-28-180 accident near Estherville, Iowa, April 29, 1982
On April 29, 1982 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2134R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Estherville, Iowa (Estherville Muni 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1982 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Estherville, Iowa · Estherville Muni · 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 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2134R · registry record · serial 285467
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER 90 DAYS AND WAS FLYING FOR PRACTICE AND TO BECOME CURRENT. DURING LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR ABOUT 20 TO 30 FEET AND THEN CAME DOWN HARD ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR FAILED AND THE PLANE SLID TO A STOP ON ITS NOSE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 136 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 90 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,060 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flying Wildcats, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Humbolt IA at 9:00 am
- Destination: Estherville IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC82DA064.