- Date
- February 3, 2003, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waskish, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8112UCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030203001549A
- Case key
- 56456
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot. Contributing factors were the snow covered takeoff area and the tailwind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane impacted a snow bank and nosed over during an aborted takeoff on a snow covered lake. The pilot stated that he attempted a downwind takeoff and realized that the airplane was unable to lift off. The airplane then impacted the snow bank.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 2003, at 1530 central standard time, a Cessna 172F, N8112U, owned and piloted by a private pilot, received substantial damage after hitting a snow bank and nosing over during an aborted takeoff on Upper Red Lake, Waskish, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that he landed on Upper Red Lake and unloaded fishing gear and two passengers. He told them that he would pick them up on a plowed road located about 1 1/2 miles away because he thought that there was too much snow on the lake for him to takeoff with the two passengers.
He stated that he attempted the takeoff from Upper Red Lake with the wind, which he reported as 320 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 20 knots. During the takeoff, he realized that he couldn't lift off and attempted to stop the airplane, which resulted in the airplane impacting a snow drift and nosing over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8112U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252012
- Airframe hours
- 3,450
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Justin R Fuhrer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 2002 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Waskish, MN
- Airport
- VWU · Waskish Municipal Airport
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
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 346 total · 322 in this make and model · 305 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- VWU, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 14, 2004, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 358 KB 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.