Piper J-4A accident near Pine River, MN
On March 28, 2015, a Piper J-4A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pine River, MN. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 28, 2015
- Place
- Pine River, MN
- Aircraft
- Piper J-4A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.718°N, 94.376°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150327X35752
Official records · CEN15FA181
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 27, 2015, at 1835 central standard time, a Piper J-4A airplane, N30341, collided with the terrain shortly after takeoff from the Pine River Regional Airport (PWC), Pine River, Minnesota. The private pilot and passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. A pilot who had landed at the airport just prior to the accident reported she heard the airplane as it took off and that it sounded "normal for an older plane." She stated the airplane was very low above the runway with the wings wobbling back and forth. This witness also stated the ground speed was very slow, perhaps 20 miles per hour. She stated the wings stopped rocking for a bit, but the airplane remained slow and just above the treeline as it crossed Highway 1 at the south end of the runway. The witness stated she looked away and heard an unusual noise just before the airplane impacted the ground. Another witness reported seeing the airplane flying toward the south just after it took off. This witness reported it was very noticeable that the airplane was "wobbling" back and forth at a low altitude. Once the airplane reached Highway 1, it banked to the left and the nose rose. The nose then descended and the airplane entered a nose dive to the ground. Numerous witnes
Probable cause
The pilot' failure to maintain adequate airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane's wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct the flight without obtaining a flight review or refresher training.
More accidents in MN
- Jetstream BA-3100, Dec 2, 1993
- Raytheon Corporate Jets BAE 125-800A, Jul 31, 2008
- Beech King Air 100, Oct 25, 2002
- Cessna 180, Jul 12, 1987
- Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, Nov 25, 2007
Browse: Minnesota · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
