Piper PA-44-180 N453MK
10 May 2025 · Saint James, Minnesota, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 10 May 2025 at about 17:45 local time, a Piper PA-44-180 registered N453MK, operated by North Star Aviation, was involved in an accident near Saint James, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Saint James, Minnesota, United States
- Nearest airport
- St. James Municipal (JYG)
- Coordinates
- 43.9849, -94.5565
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180
- Registration
- N453MK
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2024
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- North Star Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN25LA174
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The failure of the left main landing gear tire casing and tube due to excessive wear which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction reported that upon landing, the airplane immediately veered left followed by a noticeable vibration. The flight instructor attempted to correct with opposite rudder, however, the left veer continued, and the airplane struck a runway edge light which collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane departed the runway surface and came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination found that the left tire had excessive wear and a flat spot in the casing with a corresponding 2” hole. Additionally, ground scars observed prior to the runway edge light showed that the tire casing had separated from the tire rim. It is likely the tire was in a near flat condition during the landing which resulted in the loss of directional control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2025 | Piper PA-44-180 | Pompano Beach, Florida, United States | American Flyers Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Piper PA-44-180 | Melbourne, Arkansas, United States | Ozarka College | No injuries | - |
| 26 Nov 2025 | Piper PA-44-180 | Eastman, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jan 2024 | Piper PA-44-180 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | ATP Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2024 | Piper PA-44-180 | Shakopee, Minnesota, United States | Thunderbird Aircraft Co | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Mar 2024 | Piper PA-44-180 | Fort Pierce North, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 2025 | Elmwood CHRISTAVIA | South Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2025 | Piper PA-28-140 | McGregor, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 May 2025 | Cirrus SR22T | Luverne, Minnesota, United States | PRO AG Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2025 | Zenith STOL CH701 | Blaine, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2025 | Alon A2 | Pipestone, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2025 | Beechcraft HAWKER 800XP | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |