Minneapolis-Saint Paul

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Louis - Minneapolis

MSN:

YOM:

1953

Location:

Elma

Iowa

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9000

Captain / Total hours on type:

5500.00

Circumstances:

En route from Saint Louis to Minneapolis, while cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the right engine caught fire. The copilot declared an emergency and was cleared to divert to Elma Airport. Shortly later, the right engine detached. The crew completed an emergency descent but made a forced landing off airport on land. All four occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight due to master and connecting rods failure. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Material failure,
- Fire in engine,
- Oil exhaustion - engine lubrication system,
- Separation in flight,
- Complete engine failure,
- Force landing off airport on land,
- Engine separated from aircraft in flight due to fire damage.

Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 411 in Minneapolis: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1973 at 1607 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 411

Operator:

Registration:

N4932T

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Minneapolis - Gwinner

MSN:

411-0132

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3450

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport, while in initial climb, the left engine lost power. The pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in flames near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine malfunction during initial climb caused by an improper adjustment of the fuel injection system. The following factors were reported:
- Improper maintenance,
- The pilot failed to follow approved procedures,
- The pilot failed to maintain flying speed,
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Improper emergency procedures,
- The pilot failed to use all available runway,
- Partial loss of power on left engine because fuel mixt too rich,
- The pilot failed to feather the left propeller,
- Got below VMC,
- Near gross weight and aft CofG,
- The pilot took off from the intersection.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor in Minneapolis: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1972 at 2027 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N717R

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Duluth - Minneapolis

MSN:

AF-363

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1324

Captain / Total hours on type:

408.00

Circumstances:

On approach to Minneapolis-St Paul Airport by night, both engines failed simultaneously due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane stalled then crashed onto two houses located few miles short of runway. The aircraft and both houses were destroyed and both occupants on board the aircraft were killed while there was no casualties on the ground.

Probable cause:

Failure of both engines on final due to fuel exhaustion. The following factors were reported:
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Mismanagement of fuel,
- Fuel exhaustion,
- High obstructions,
- The pilot failed to refuel at Duluth Airport.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune in Lock Haven

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1967

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

Operator:

Registration:

128414

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Minneapolis – Willow Grove

MSN:

426-5260

Location:

Lock Haven

Pennsylvania

Country:

Region:

Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Minneapolis-St Paul Airport to Willow Grove NAS, an engine failed. The crew was cleared to divert to Lock Haven for an emergency landing. In unknown circumstances, the airplane came to rest in flames and burned out. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I near Le Center: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1967 at 1104 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N861H

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Minneapolis - Minneapolis

MSN:

147

YOM:

1964

Location:

Le Center

Country:

Region:

Rockwell Aero Commander 680

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9388

Captain / Total hours on type:

639.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

9125

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

1937

Circumstances:

The crew departed Minneapolis-St Paul Airport for a local training mission. En route, while in cruising altitude, the airplane went into an uncontrolled descent until it crashed in an open field located 5 miles southeast of Le Center. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the electric pitch control mechanism. Excessive temperature in relays and wiring, causing fire in engine, brakes and wheel assembly.

Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 680E in Minneapolis: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1966 at 1543 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

R.D. Marcotte & Associates

Registration:

N8496C

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

680E-846-71

YOM:

1960

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4826

Captain / Total hours on type:

117.00

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-World Chamberlain Airport, while climbing, the pilot informed ATC about fire on board and that smoke spread in the cabin and cockpit. He elected to make an emergency landing when control was lost and the airplane crashed in flames on Interstate highway. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that a fire broke out in the baggage compartment for unknown reason.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-6B in Minneapolis

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1958 at 0329 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

N575

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Washington DC – Pittsburgh – Cleveland – Detroit – Milwaukee – Minneapolis – Portland – Seattle

MSN:

45200

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

NW537

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

12376

Captain / Total hours on type:

572.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

9089

Copilot / Total hours on type:

148

Aircraft flight hours:

4471

Circumstances:

At approximately 0329LT, the airplane crashed on takeoff from Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A number of the 62 persons (including 2 infants) aboard suffered serious injuries but there were no fatalities. Fire, which broke out a short time after all occupants were evacuated, consumed the aircraft. The aircraft took off normally and climbed to a height of about 100 feet. It then gradually nosed over and entered a descent which continued until it struck the ground. Sky conditions were clear; however, the prevailing visibility was about three miles in fog, and in localized areas around the airport it was reduced to lens than a mile by patches of denser fog. Takeoff was made on runway 22 and the climbout was a from a lighted, built-up section toward an open, unlighted area. The Board believes that the pilot while trying to remain contact in reduced visibility allowed the nose of the aircraft to drop when flaps were retracted because of inattention to flight instruments. The darkness and reduced visibility during climbout contributed to a sensory illusion which completely obscured the fact of descent from the pilot.

Probable cause:

The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's inattention to flight instruments during takeoff in conditions of reduced visibility.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-269 in Moorhead: 14 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1941 at 0204 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC21712

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Chicago – Minneapolis – Fargo – Billings – Butte – Spokane – Seattle

MSN:

2124

YOM:

1939

Flight number:

NW005

Location:

Moorhead

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7000

Captain / Total hours on type:

2275.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1300

Copilot / Total hours on type:

367

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Minneapolis-Wold Chamberlain on a flight to Seattle with several intermediate stops. Approaching Fargo-Hector Field at night, the crew encountered icing conditions. The airplane became unstable and pitched up and down. The captain increased engine power when the airplane stalled and crashed in a prairie located in Moorhead, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire. A pilot survived while 14 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and of the entire record available at this time, investigation team found that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the aircraft, when the inboard portions of the wings were stalled, to respond to the application of full power in the manner reasonably to be expected in the light of the aeronautical knowledge then available.
Contributing factors:
- Accumulation of ice on the wings and other surfaces of the airplane, increasing the stalling speed and the drag of the airplane on the power required to maintain flight.
- Failure of the captain, due to his having lost confidence in the air-speed mete to realize his close approach to a stalled condition.
- Action of the captain in descending to attempt a landing at Fargo with known icing conditions and critical ceiling conditions, instead of proceeding to an available alternate.
- Failure of the dispatcher to recognize the seriousness of weather conditions in the vicinity of Fargo and to direct the pilot to proceed to his alternate.

Final Report:

Crash of a Ford 5 in Minneapolis: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1929

Type of aircraft:

Ford 5

Operator:

Registration:

NC7416

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

5-AT-002

YOM:

1928

Location:

Country:

Region: