Cessna 120 accident near Hibbing, Minnesota, January 14, 2006
On January 14, 2006 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N76203, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hibbing, 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot used a rough frozen lake for takeoff which resulted in the overload failure of the landing ski. A factor was the rough frozen lake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2006 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hibbing, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N76203 · registry record · serial 10606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The ski equipped airplane nosed over while landing on a frozen lake. The pilot reported that when he departed another seaplane base, the surface was very rough due to frozen slush created by snow mobiles. He reported that when he touched down on the frozen lake, he heard a "loud grinding" noise and the airplane slowed down rapidly. The pilot stated that the grinding noise stopped then started again only much louder. He reported that the nose of the airplane dropped and the propeller contacted the ice. The pilot reported that the airplane then dropped to the right and flipped over onto its back. The pilot reported that the ground track from the left ski was "rounded" at initial touchdown followed by a space then a much narrower and deeper track. He reported that the four quarter-inch bolts sheared off between the axle and the gear leg on the left ski.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 934 hours in all; 282 in this make and model; 920 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9Y5 Ely MN at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Hibbing MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from HIB
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.