# Accident 20060114000659A: Cessna 120, Hibbing, MN, January 14, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 14, 2006, 13:30 local time
- Place: Hibbing, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.3867° N, 92.8392° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.3867&lon=-92.8392&mi=10
- Aircraft: N76203, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N76203) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 120 (registry code 2071402, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-120) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 120
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI06CA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06CA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060114000659A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE AIRMAN DEPARTED FROM THE SKY HARBOR SEAPLANE BASE (9Y5), EVELETH, MN, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST). THE AIRMAN RECALLED THAT THE FROZEN LAKE'S SURFACE WAS QUITE ROUGH DUE TO RUTTED VEHICLE AND SNOWMOBILE TRACKS, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BE HARSHLY SHAKEN DURING TAKEOFF. THE AIRMAN FLEW TO AND LANDED ON MCQUADE LAKE, HIBBING, MN (HIB 335/8NM). UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED A GRINDING NOISE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS THE LEFT AXLE CONTACTING THE ICE. THE SUBSEQUENT DRAG CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP UP ONTO ITS NOSE. THIS CAUSED UNDUE STRESS UPON THE RIGHT SKI, CAUSING IT TO BUCKLE, ALLOWING THE RIGHT WING TO CONTACT THE FROZEN SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN OVERTURNED, COMING TO REST ON ITS BACK. THE AIRMAN ESCAPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE LEFT SKI, OR ONE OF ITS SUBCOMPONENTS, WAS DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF FROM EVELETH, MN ON THE ROUGH, FROZEN LAKE. THIS ALLOWED THE LEFT SKI TO ROTATE ON THE AXLE AND BECOME INVERTED AFTER TAKEOFF, SO ON LANDING, THE INVERTED LEFT SKI CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DRAG, EVENTUALLY OVERTURNING THE AIRCRAFT. ONE WITNESS DID OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITH THE LEFT SKI HANGING AWKWARDLY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI06CA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06CA066), Jan 14, 2006: Cessna 120 (N76203), Hibbing, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot used a rough frozen lake for takeoff which resulted in the overload failure of the landing ski. A factor was the rough frozen lake.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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