Sunday, August 07, 2022

Piper J3C-65 Cub, N42584: Accident occurred July 29, 2022 - Sturgeon Lake, Pine County, Minnesota

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Lemishko, Alexander 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Minneapolis, Minnesota


Location: Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota 
Accident Number: CEN22LA348
Date and Time: July 29, 2022, 13:00 Local 
Registration: N42584
Aircraft: Piper J3C-65 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper 
Registration: N42584
Model/Series: J3C-65 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: 
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting: 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 46.3811,-92.8238 (est)

Aircraft made an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion, found fuel, departed and came in contact with trees. 

Date: 29-JUL-22
Time: 23:00:00Z
Regis#: N42584
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: J3C
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: STURGEON LAKE
State: MINNESOTA

Pine County Sheriff's Office
Press Release 
08/01/2022

On the date of 07/29/2022 at about 1825 hours, the Pine County 911 Communications Center received a call of an airplane that had crashed on the 4000 block of Birchview Road in Sturgeon Lake.  Reports were received that the pilot of the aircraft was possibly intoxicated.

Deputies arrived and found that the pilot of the aircraft, Dennis Schwandt of Missouri was uninjured and showed signs of intoxication and was arrested.  The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the incident and responded to assist in the investigation.

The aircraft that Dennis Schwandt was operating was a 1945 Piper J35-65.

The case has been referred to the Pine County Attorney’s office for charging.

Deputies were assisted by the MN DNR, State Patrol, Moose Lake Fire, Essentia Ambulance, and the FAA.




STURGEON LAKE, Minnesota - Authorities responded to a single-engine plane crash last Friday allegedly involving alcohol.

Deputies said the pilot, 70, of Missouri crashed on the 4000 block of Birchview Road in Sturgeon Lake.

The Pine County 911 Communications Center received reports that the pilot was possibly intoxicated.

He was not hurt, and was taken into custody.

As of Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration has removed the plane and debris from the crash area.

There was no damage to the property.

2 comments:

  1. At 70 he could have had some sort of medical event such as a stroke. Several conditions mimic intoxication. The hospital will get it ironed out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nope, his blood alcohol content was .203 if I can remember correctly.

    ReplyDelete