Piper PA-28-181 N820ND

Summary

On 19 October 2021 at about 00:24 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N820ND, operated by University of North Dakota, was involved in an accident near Buxton, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 October 2021 at 00:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Buxton, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

47.5685, -97.0325

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N820ND

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

University of North Dakota

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Forks → Fargo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN22FA017

1 person died.

The pilot’s intentional flight into terrain as an act of suicide.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a night cross-country flight. Flight track data showed that, after takeoff, the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 3,700 ft mean sea level. About 30 miles from the departure airport, the airplane turned left about 180° and began a rapid descent. The wreckage was located in a plowed, soft dirt field. Examination revealed no preimpact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Following a death investigation, the state medical examiner classified the manner of death as a suicide.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.