Piper PA-22-108 accident near North Omaha, Nebraska, September 30, 1989
On September 30, 1989 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N5303Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Omaha, Nebraska. 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 SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ON WHICH TO MAKE A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1989 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- North Omaha, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N5303Z · registry record · serial 22-9006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PVT PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD PRACTICED A SIMULATED FORCED LDG ON A FRIEND'S FARM FIELD. AFTER LDG, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TAKEOFF WERE ABORTED AS IT APPEARED HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO CLEAR OBSTACLES AT THE END OF THE FIELD. A DIFFERENT PATH WAS CHOSEN ON THE LAST ATTEMPT, AND DURING THE TAKOEFF ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR HIT AN OBJECT PITCHING THE ACFT TO THE LEFT, COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR, AND THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PLT SAID THAT THE TERRAIN WAS SOFT, BUT DRY AND ROUGH.
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: 135 hours in all; 70 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AHQ Wahoo NE at 6:10 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:50 pm from OMA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N5303Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.