Cessna 172N accident near Lakeville, Minnesota, November 20, 2004
On November 20, 2004 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737CR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeville, Minnesota. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot misjudged his distance and speed which resulted in an overrun.. Factors were the wet runway, the grass and the berm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2004 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Lakeville, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737CR · no longer on the register · serial 17269318
- 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 on impact with a roadway berm when it exited the departure end of the runway. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was on file and was activated. The pilot's accident report stated, "Left Waterloo Municipal Airport IFR [direct] Airlake Airport as filed, radar vectors [Minneapolis Approach] to ILS 29 approach LVN. Maneuvering after breaking out of overcast at about 700 [feet] through lower broken layer (500 [feet]?), ended up landing long and skidding off end of runway, swerving left to avoid runway end lights, entered grass and continued to skid until striking roadway berm."
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 807 hours in all; 542 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 708 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,058 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2003; 231 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALO Waterloo IA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: LVN Lakeville MN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MSP
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.