Cessna 120 accident near Lakeville, Minnesota, July 8, 2013
On July 8, 2013 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N2693N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lakeville, Minnesota (Airlake 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 student pilot's excessive application of the brakes during the landing roll and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2013 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeville, Minnesota · Airlake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N2693N · no longer on the register · serial 12951
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was conducting tailwheel training operations with the private pilot who did not have any tailwheel experience. During the second landing, the tailwheel touched down first, the airplane bounced slightly, and then landed on all three landing gear. According to the instructor, the airplane began to swerve left and right; the student did not make the proper corrections so he took over the flight controls. During the recovery the brakes were applied, the airplane nosed-over, and came to rest inverted on the runway. The flight instructor did not recall touching the brakes during the recovery, but thought the student might have inadvertently applied the brakes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The flight instructor stated that prior to the accident there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 24, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 25 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,008 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 2012; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLVN Lakeville MN at 1:30 pm
- Destination: KLVN Lakeville MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,098 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:31 pm from LVN
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.