Piper PA-22-135 accident near Dunn Center, ND
On November 8, 2020, a Piper PA-22-135 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Dunn Center, ND. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 8, 2020
- Place
- Dunn Center, ND
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 47.227°N, 102.517°W
- NTSB ID
- 20201108102248
Official records · CEN21LA044
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On November 7, 2020, about 1918 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-22-135, N3606A, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Dunn Center, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot had landed at the friend’s private airstrip for a visit. The friend, who was also a pilot, reported that the accident pilot was nervous about the weather conditions and checked the weather every 30 minutes beginning about 2 hours before he departed. The friend offered the pilot his vehicle to drive home, but the pilot declined. He described the weather as a low ceiling, light drizzle, thick fog, and light conditions as a dark night. The pilot told his friend that he was going to return to Fargo, North Dakota, but would first fly to Dickinson, North Dakota, to purchase fuel. According to the friend, the pilot believed that Dickson had an overcast sky at 2,500 ft above ground level, and the pilot thought that once airborne he would be able to see the lights of Dickinson about 22 miles to the south. The friend further stated that he followed the airplane during its takeoff roll to the south using his headlights to illuminate the runway. He lost sight of the airplane’s lights in the overcast and fog within seconds after its departure. He said he could hear the airplane in the overcast, and it sounded like it was turning back toward the runway. He heard the airplane’s engine running at high rpm and then heard an impact. According to a Federal Aviatio
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to depart into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control.
More accidents in ND
- Cessna 401A, Feb 24, 1994
- Piper PA-24-250, Oct 22, 1986
- Cessna 441, Nov 18, 2018
- Piper PA 28-140, Jun 9, 2016
- Beech V35B, Jul 31, 1992
Browse: North Dakota · 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.
