Cessna 175 accident near Eveleth, Minnesota, April 6, 2010
On April 6, 2010 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N9266B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Eveleth, Minnesota (Sky Harbor Seaplane Base airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2010 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Eveleth, Minnesota · Sky Harbor Seaplane Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N9266B · no longer on the register · serial 55066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were flying the airplane to a local airport in order to have an annual inspection completed. During the landing roll on the grass runway, the landing gear encountered soft terrain. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed and the left wing contacted terrain. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing was bent aft at the wing root. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot stated that the airport owner told them someone had landed on the grass runway earlier that day so they decided the surface was adequate for landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 457 hours in all; 437 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 408 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 6, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,630 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A&6V335 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EVM Eveleth MN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 9Y5 Eveleth MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 1,900 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from EVM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.