Cessna 120 accident near Laporte, Minnesota, July 14, 2006
On July 14, 2006 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N3089N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laporte, Minnesota (Robco Airport). 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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot and the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion during takeoff. A contributing factor was the runway marker.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2006 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Laporte, Minnesota · Robco Airport · 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
- N3089N · no longer on the register · serial 13347
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage following a loss of engine power during initial climb from a private airstrip. The airplane then impacted a runway marker and nosed over during a forced landing. Inspection of the airplane revealed no usable fuel in the fuel tanks. No anomalies associated with the loss of engine power were reported.
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: 320 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MN12 Laporte MN at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Y49 Walker MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,400 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from BJI, 20 miles away
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.