Waco YMF accident near Longville, Minnesota, June 14, 1997
On June 14, 1997 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Waco YMF, registered N820MM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Longville, Minnesota (Longville Municipal airport). It was a personal 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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors relating to the accident were: the gusty wind condition and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1997 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Longville, Minnesota · Longville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YMF · all YMFs on the register
- Registration
- N820MM · registry record · serial F5C-056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed the airplane on runway 13. The airplane weathervaned to the right, and the pilot allowed it to exit the runway. In the area off the runway, the airplane impacted a ditch and nosed over. The pilot said he elected to land the airplane on runway 13 due to the indication of the windsock. He said that eyewitnesses approached him after the accident and said the windsock did not indicate the actual wind condition; they told him that the wind was from the northwest at 15 knots. About 5 minutes before the accident, a weather station (36 nautical miles southwest of the accident site) was reporting winds of 230 degrees at 6 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The same station recorded winds of 170 at 3 knots, 15 minutes after the accident.
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: 1,123 hours in all; 196 in this make and model; 1,123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1997; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-B2M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis MN at 4:50 pm
- Destination: D33
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,781 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KPK, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N820MM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.