Beech 65-A80-8800 accident near Alexandria, Minnesota, December 29, 2020
On December 29, 2020 at about 1:45 am local time, a 1964 Beech 65-A80-8800, registered N134BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Alexandria, Minnesota (Chandler Fld airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to attempt takeoff with frost covering the airplane and rotating below the published rotation speed, which led to exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2020 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Alexandria, Minnesota · Chandler Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A80-8800, built 1964 · all 65-A80-8800s on the register
- Registration
- N134BA · registry record · serial LD-202
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the takeoff was conducted below the airplane’s maximum gross weight. Although his written statement and interviews indicated that there was no frost on the airplane during his preflight examination, the police report of the accident stated that the pilot told the responding officer immediately after the accident that there could have been frost on the wings of the airplane. The airport manager who responded to the accident scene reported that all airplane surfaces were covered with frost when he arrived a short time after the accident. The pilot reported that during the takeoff the rotation speed was between 82 and 85 knots. The pilot’s reports of what happened after rotation were consistent, indicating that the airplane began to veer to the right and began shaking. The pilot stated that he did not hear a stall warning and that the airplane did not feel like it was in a stall. While the pilot tried to correct the veering to the right, the airplane pitched down, turned left, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane then bounced, the right wing struck the ground, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The left wing sustained substantial damage. Airplane performance data indicated that the proper rotation speed for a maximum gross weight takeoff was 96 knots. The power-on stall speed at maximum gross weight for the airplane with landing gear extended and flaps retracted was not specifically listed but would have been between 78 and 91 knots based on available performance data from the airplane owner’s manual. In addition, the performance data would have been for an airplane without frost on it; frost would have increased the speed. Based on the available evidence it is likely that the airplane had frost contamination, which the pilot ignored. He then rotated the airplane during the maximum gross-weight takeoff at a speed below the airplane manufacturer’s recommended rotation speed. The slower speed in combination with degraded performance due to frost contamination of the airplane’s flying surfaces resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with the ground.
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
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to structural icing › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,126.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 10, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 12,499 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bemidji Aviation Services, Inc.
The flight
- Destination: KMSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13/3, 5,099 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point -4°F (-20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KAXN
Weather report (METAR): KAXN 290053Z AUTO 26007KT 10SM CLR M18/M20 A3038 RMK AO2 SLP323 T11781200
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN21LA101.