Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Miltona, Minnesota 56354
Thursday, March 31, 1983 13:12 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PRIOR TO SEPARTING, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF LOW CEILINGS & POOR VISIBILITY OVER THE ENTIRE PROPOSED ROUTE & WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. IN A DISCUSSION WITH PERSONS AT FERGUS FALLS, MN, HE STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO FOLLOW THE HIGHWAY. ABOUT 20 TO 25 MIN AFTER DEPARTING FERGUS FALLS, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A BARNYARD ON LEVEL TERRAIN. A WITNESS STATED THAT BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED, THE ENG SOUNDED LIKE THE ACFT WAS PERFORMING DIVES & STALLS & THAT THE 'POWER WOULD INCREASE AND THEN SLOW DOWN.' HE THEN SAW THE ACFT COME OUT OF THE OVERCAST AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN ABOUT A 45 DEG NOSE DOWN, 70 TO 80 DEG RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. HE ESTIMATED THAT HE SAW THE ACFT ABOUT 2 SECONDS FROM THE TIME IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. NO PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL PART MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/31/1983
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1312
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City MILTONA
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 56354
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1325 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 200
Weather Observation Facility ID AXN
Elevation of weather observation facility 1425
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 300
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2876
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23194
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4186R
NTSB Number CHI83FA156
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32-40520
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 2 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 188
Airframe Hours 3777
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID G. STEWART
Aircraft Owner Street Address 946 WOODLAND AVE.
Aircraft Owner City KALISPELL
Aircraft Owner State MT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 59901
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FFM
Departure City FERGIS FALLS
Departure State MN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1255
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MFI
Destination City MARSHFIELD
Destination State WI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --