- Date
- January 14, 2006, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hibbing, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N76203Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis, MN FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060114000659A
- Case key
- 63151
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 used a rough frozen lake for takeoff which resulted in the overload failure of the landing ski. A factor was the rough frozen lake.
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 ski equipped airplane nosed over while landing on a frozen lake. The pilot reported that when he departed another seaplane base, the surface was very rough due to frozen slush created by snow mobiles. He reported that when he touched down on the frozen lake, he heard a "loud grinding" noise and the airplane slowed down rapidly. The pilot stated that the grinding noise stopped then started again only much louder. He reported that the nose of the airplane dropped and the propeller contacted the ice. The pilot reported that the airplane then dropped to the right and flipped over onto its back. The pilot reported that the ground track from the left ski was "rounded" at initial touchdown followed by a space then a much narrower and deeper track. He reported that the four quarter-inch bolts sheared off between the axle and the gear leg on the left ski.
Factual narrative
The ski equipped airplane nosed over while landing on a frozen lake. The pilot reported that when he departed another seaplane base, the surface was very rough due frozen slush created by snow mobiles. He reported that when he touched down on the frozen lake, he heard a "loud grinding" noise and the airplane slowed down rapidly. The pilot stated the grinding noise stopped then started again only much louder. He reported the nose of the airplane dropped and the propeller contacted the ice. The pilot reported the airplane then dropped to the right and flipped over onto its back. The pilot reported the ground track from the left ski was "rounded" at initial touchdown followed by a space then a much narrower and deeper track. He reported the four quarter-inch bolts sheared off between the axle and the gear leg on the left ski.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76203
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10606
- Engine
- Continental C-85, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roger T. Weber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 9Y5 · Ely, MN
- Destination
- Hibbing, MN
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 934 total · 282 in this make and model · 920 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- HIB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.