Cessna 170A accident near St. Paul, Minnesota, April 21, 2000
On April 21, 2000 at about 8:26 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N1233D, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Paul, Minnesota (South St. Paul airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the broken landing gear axle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2000 · about 8:26 pm local time
- Place
- St. Paul, Minnesota · South St. Paul · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N1233D · no longer on the register · serial 20116
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said that he landed hard on the airplane's left side. Upon landing, the left axle broke causing the left wingtip to touch the runway. Examination of the airplane showed the left main landing gear axle was broken at the gear leg mounting flange. The fracture ran around the circumference of the axle, flush against the flange, except for where it ran outside of a 7/16-inch wide spot weld observed on one side of the axle. The left landing gear box was pushed inward and aft. No other anomalies were revealed with the airplane. The airplane underwent an annual inspection on March 9, 2000. The airplane had logged 4 hours since the date of the annual inspection, to the time of the accident. The airplane manufacturer states that cracked landing gear axles should be replaced. The company provides no guidance regarding performing welds on their landing gear axles.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 92 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,907 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGS at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MSP, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.