Cessna 170B accident near Waseca, Minnesota, May 25, 1985
On May 25, 1985 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N1676D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waseca, Minnesota (Wasaca 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1985 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waseca, Minnesota · Wasaca
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1676D · registry record · serial 20318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ON FINAL APCH THE X-WIND CORRECTION WAS GOOD AND HE HAD A 45 DEG WIND FROM THE RIGHT AT APRX 15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS. DURING THE FLARE, THE ACFT BALLOONED AND LANDED IN A RIGHT YAW. THE PLT STATED THAT HE THEN ADDED PWR AND LEFT RUDDER AND THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE RWY. THE ACFT THEN PIVOTED TO THE LEFT AND WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A DITCH. THE ABOVE WIND CONDITIONS PRODUCE A 15 KT X-WIND DURING THE GUSTS. CESSNA CONFIRMED THAT THE CESSNA 170B HAD BEEN TESTED SATISFACTORILY IN X-WINDS UP TO 21 KTS.
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: 473 hours in all; 78 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,635 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 25D Forest Lake MN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: ACQ Waseca MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from RST
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI85LA221.