Beech C-23 accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota, August 21, 1996
On August 21, 1996 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Beech C-23, registered N18780, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Flying Cloud airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the instructor pilot delayed the remedial action and failed to maintain adequate supervision. The slow airspeed maintained by the student pilot was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1996 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eden Prairie, Minnesota · Flying Cloud · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-23 · all C-23s on the register
- Registration
- N18780 · no longer on the register · serial M-1943
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor pilot reported that he had been instructing the student in short field takeoffs and landings at another airstrip. They returned to Flying Cloud Airport and were going to practice two more short field takeoffs and landings. The instructor pilot reported that on the first approach, the student let the airspeed get too slow. The instructor tried to take control and recover. The instructor lowered the nose to gain airspeed and do a go-around. The airplane landed hard on the main landing gear, which bent the left wing spar.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 809 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 681 as pilot in command; 367 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,455 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: General Aviation Services
The flight
- Departed from: FCM at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.