- Date
- March 11, 2023, 21:33 local (Mar 12, 2023, 03:33 UTC)
- Place
- Eden Prairie, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N789TBSocata TB21
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-MPLS FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230311004539A
- Case key
- 106905
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s continued flight into icing conditions in an airplane that was not equipped for icing, which led to structural icing, subsequent loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during a night cross country flight, the airplane encountered icing conditions while on an instrument approach. The pilot observed about 4 inches of ice had formed on the wing, running about one foot aft. The pilot reported he put the landing gear down about 5 miles from the runway. The pilot continued the approach and stated he broke out of the clouds about 300-400 ft agl and had “minimal control.” The airplane impacted snow-covered ground and came to rest about a half mile from the runway. The airplane was destroyed by a post-impact fire. In an email, the pilot stated the “airplane was in good shape.” At the time of the accident there was an icing AIRMET that covered the location of the accident. The Socata TB21 Pilot Information Manual states “Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N789TB
- Reported as
- Socata TB21
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1919
- Built
- 1999
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FRM · Fairmont, MN
- Destination
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FCM · Flying Cloud
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Onboard weather
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,999 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 2,989 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Icing
- Rime
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KFCM
- METAR
- KFCM 120345Z AUTO 15008KT 3SM BR OVC005 M02/M02 A2988 RMK AO2 I1002 T10221022
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.