Piper PA-22 accident near Sandpoint, Idaho, January 30, 2023
On January 30, 2023, a 1954 Piper PA-22, registered N1791P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sandpoint, Idaho (Sandpoint airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 and subsequent failure to maintain clearance from a snow berm during a go around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2023
- Place
- Sandpoint, Idaho · Sandpoint · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 150, built 1954 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N1791P · registry record · serial 22-2564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a landing attempt, after touchdown, he raised the flaps and the right wing lifted. He added right aileron input, but the airplane then turned about 60° to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the turn with rudder and initiated a go around, at which time the airplane collided with a snow berm, and the pilot continued. On the second landing, the airplane touched down normally, but the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 237 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,322.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 2,873 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSZT Sandpoint ID at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 5,501 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point -4°F (-20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 am from KSZT
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSZT 292315Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M07/M20 A3044 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 23, 2023. 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 | Photos | 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.