Cessna 170-B accident near White Bear Lake, Minnesota, April 25, 2010
On April 25, 2010 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170-B, registered N3201A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near White Bear Lake, Minnesota (Benson Airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor's inadequate attempted recovery from a bounced landing and the student pilot's abrupt use of the brakes, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2010 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota · Benson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170-B · all 170-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3201A · no longer on the register · serial 25845
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot successfully completed crosswind landings at a grass airstrip prior to making a landing on runway 31 back at the departure grass airstrip. The winds were from 360 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The CFI reported that when the airplane was about 30 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered an “unexpected strong down flow of wind (wind shear)” coming over the tree line on the northeast side of the runway that caused the airplane to hit the ground hard. The CFI took the controls prior to the airplane hitting the ground. The airplane bounced and the CFI attempted to recover the airplane, but “didn’t have time to explain to the student what was happening.” Both pilots were on the controls when the airplane touched down the second time. The CFI reported that both brakes were “locked” and the airplane skidded for about 75 feet before the airplane nosed over. He reported that he could not counteract the student pilot’s brake input.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,412 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 5,268 as pilot in command; 2,522 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 4 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6MN9 White Bear Lake MN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 6MN9 White Bear Lake MN
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 31, 2,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.