Cessna 525A accident near Storm Lake, Iowa, June 21, 2010
On June 21, 2010 at about 1:25 pm local time, a Cessna 525A, registered N800VT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Storm Lake, Iowa (Storm Lake Municipal Airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land on a water contaminated runway, which resulted in a runway excursion during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of knowledge regarding the landing distance required and the limited braking effectiveness on a water contaminated runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2010 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Storm Lake, Iowa · Storm Lake Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 525A · all 525As on the register
- Registration
- N800VT · no longer on the register · serial 525A0103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot canceled his instrument flight plan and proceeded under visual flight rules to his destination airport, avoiding the local thunderstorms that were in the area. The pilot reported that he landed just beyond the runway numbers and applied full braking. He reported that during the landing roll out, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a tailwind, and that he was unable to stop the airplane on the runway due to the wet runway condition and the wind. The airplane departed the runway, causing the nose gear and the left main landing gear to collapse about 325 feet from the departure end of runway. The pilot stated that there was standing water on the runway and with the brakes fully applied, the airplane responded as if it didn't have any. The inspection of the airplane’s tires, brake system, and anti-skid system revealed no pre-accident anomalies. The Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) provided the information required for determining the landing distance for dry runways, wet runways, and water contaminated runways. The AFM Landing Distance Tables indicted that the landing distance on a wet runway was about 4,050 – 4,350 feet; and the landing distance on a water contaminated runway (0.125 inch) was about 5,900 feet – 6,250 feet. The pilot thought that he needed less than 5,000 feet of runway to stop the airplane, indicating he was not familiar with the required contaminated runway landing distance.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area length › Decision related to condition
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of equipment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Wet › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,073 hours in all; 4,189 in this make and model; 158 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 13,543 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,189 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 9, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Williams FJ 44 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Williams FJ 44 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Clausen Investments INC
The flight
- Departed from: OKC Oklahoma City OK at 12:05 pm
- Destination: SLB Storm Lake IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from CKP, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N800VT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.