Aero Commander 690A accident near Roseau, Minnesota, December 14, 1991
On December 14, 1991, a Aero Commander 690A, registered N96BW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roseau, Minnesota (Roseau Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH, AND NOT SELECTING THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT ON THE LANDING RUNWAY. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE A DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITION AND CROSSWINDS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1991 · cases in 1991
- Place
- Roseau, Minnesota · Roseau Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 690A · all 690As on the register
- Registration
- N96BW · registry record · serial 11104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK DURING A LANDING ROLL FOLLOWING A NIGHT INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE PILOT REPORTED THE RIGHT PROPELLER FEATHERED DURING THE LANDING. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE PROPELLER SYSTEM. GUSTY 15 TO 20 KNOT CROSSWINDS WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. FIVE OF THE SIX PASSENGERS REPORTED THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THREE STATEMENTS SAID THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR IN THE SNOW.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,625 hours in all; 1,224 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 9,625 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,453 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 22, 1991; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,250 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-5-251K (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Amsair INC
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN at 11:35 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N96BW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aero Commander 690 25 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 709 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-5-251K 7 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Roseau Muni/Rudy Billberg Field · nearest airport
- Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Minnesota 1,544 since 1982 · 209 in the last ten years
- Minnesota 6,958 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI92LA055.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.