Colonial C-2 accident near Faribault, Minnesota, September 26, 2001
On September 26, 2001 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Colonial C-2, registered N273B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Faribault, Minnesota (Faribault Muni airport). It was a personal 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 failure of the landing gear shock strut.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2001 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Faribault, Minnesota · Faribault Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Colonial C-2 · all C-2s on the register
- Registration
- N273B · registry record · serial 131
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed during landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear air-oil shock absorber (oleo) was broken. Further examination revealed that the end cap of the oleo was separated from the outer tube of the oleo. The end cap was held in place by two bolts, 180 degrees apart, inserted radially through the outer tube. The bolts were then threaded into the machined end cap. The holes in the outer tube were elongated and torn out to the end of the tube. Further examination revealed a second set of holes through the outer tube about 90 degrees to the first set of holes. The second set of holes also revealed elongation of the holes. According to the airplane owner, the right oleo was an original part. The left strut had been replaced with a new strut since the airplane was manufactured in 1959. According to the airplane type certificate holder, it is an approved repair procedure to rotate the outer tube of the oleo and drill a second set of holes when elongation of the first set is discovered.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,711 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2001; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FBL Faribault MN at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 2,230 ft by 140 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:36 pm from FBL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.