Beech BE-18 accident near Lakeville, Minnesota, August 29, 2004
On August 29, 2004 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Beech BE-18, registered N5180V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeville, Minnesota (Airlake Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate flare, the improper recovery from a bounced landing, the loss of directional control, and inadequate compensation for the crosswind. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2004 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeville, Minnesota · Airlake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-18
- Registration
- N5180V · registry record · serial 51-11689A
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 12. The pilot reported that the crosswinds on final approach to runway 12 were "quite strong" and he needed to crab into the wind to maintain runway alignment. He reported that during touchdown he was too fast for a 3 point landing and bounced about 3-4 feet in the air after touchdown. He reported that the "wind got under the right wing" and the airplane went off the left side of the runway. The airplane "ground looped" with the left wing hitting the ground. The airplane hit light boxes and continued in a left turn. The right landing gear separated from the airplane, and then the airplane hit a 3-4 foot ditch before coming to a stop. The recorded winds at LVN at 1415 were 150 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,303 hours in all; 286 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 9,600 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R985-AN14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fast Company LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Spooner WI at 6:30 pm
- Destination: LVN Lakeville MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:15 pm from LVN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.