Cessna 172 accident near Baudette, Minnesota, March 26, 2005
On March 26, 2005 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8954B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baudette, Minnesota. 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind which resulted in the failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind, the snow covered surface on which the landing was being made, and the deeper snow which the airplane contacted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2005 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Baudette, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8954B · no longer on the register · serial 36654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over following a loss of directional control while landing on a frozen lake. The landing was being made to the south on a trail that had been made on the lake. The pilot stated the crosswind blew the airplane off of the trail during the landing roll. He stated he attempted to regain control of the airplane by applying right rudder. He stated the nose wheel contacted 6-inch deep snow off the side of the trail at which time the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported the local winds were from 220 degrees at 10 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,830 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,538 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWC Pine River MN
- Destination: Baudette MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.