North American T-28B accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 23, 2018
On August 23, 2018 at about 4:06 pm local time, a 1955 North American T-28B, registered N215SF, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Anoka County-Blaine Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fire during approach for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in impact with terrain during approach for a precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2018 · about 4:06 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Anoka County-Blaine Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28B, built 1955 · all T-28Bs on the register
- Registration
- N215SF · no longer on the register · serial 137723
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he received a generator failure annunciation while en route and decided to return to the departure airport. During the approach, the pilot opened the canopy after severe smoke entered in the cockpit. The pilot stated there was a heavy spray of fuel during the downwind leg of the approach that ignited during the base leg of the approach. During the final leg, when the airplane was about 150-200 ft above ground level, he determined that he could not reach the runway due to the severe fire. He pushed the airplane nose down about 20-25°, and the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Postaccident examination of a fabric sample from the pilot's flight suit revealed stains that were consistent with hydraulic fluid. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the engine was separated from the airframe, and the propeller was separated from the engine. The propeller blades displayed features consistent with engine power. Fire consumed most of the cockpit area and underlying systems between the firewall and aft cockpit. Due to the fire damage, the ignition source and the flammable source could not be determined. The pilot did not perform an emergency shut down of the electrical system and/or engine after the generator failure annunciation as indicated in the airplane flight manual. However, the effect of the pilot not performing the airplane emergency procedures for smoke and fire is unknown because the timing in which the procedures would have to be performed, the flammable source location, and the kind of ignition source are unknown.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during approach
- Loss of control in flight during approach
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 31, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,426 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 8,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Curtis Wright R182086B (piston); 19,300 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Blaine MN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: ANE Blaine MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,855 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:08 pm from ANE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN18LA349.