Cessna 550 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 26, 1995
On July 26, 1995 at about 6:49 pm local time, a Cessna 550, registered N72WC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Flying Cloud Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the landing gear braking system for undetermined reason(s) and the pilot's failure to perform the emergency procedure of operating the emergency brake system. Rough/uneven terrain was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1995 · about 6:49 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Flying Cloud Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N72WC · no longer on the register · serial S550-0037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, DURING THE LANDING ROLL, HE DEPLOYED THE THRUST REVERSERS AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP THE AIRPLANE, BUT THE BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT. THE MECHANIC, WHO WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT, DEPRESS THE BRAKES ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BUT THEY ALSO DID NOT OPERATE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET 'OFF THE END' OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED UNEVEN TERRAIN AND WAS DAMAGED. A POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM, ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM, OR THE THRUST REVERSERS. THE TRANSDUCERS AND CONTROL VALVES WERE REMOVED AND TESTED. ALL TESTS WERE SATISFACTORY AND MET MANUFACTURER LIMITS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT OPERATE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AS RECOMMENDED/REQUIRED BY THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,890 hours in all; 2,820 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 4,360 as pilot in command; 415 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,874 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 1995; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4B (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCM at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 3,909 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from FCM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.