Amateur-built SEA HAWKER accident near Princeton, Minnesota, July 13, 1999
On July 13, 1999 at about 5:03 pm local time, a amateur-built SEA HAWKER, registered N188AK, was destroyed in an accident near Princeton, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The erratic aileron control response for undetermined reasons. A factor was the tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1999 · about 5:03 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEA HAWKER
- Registration
- N188AK · registry record · serial 01
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it was consumed by fire following an impact with terrain, during an emergency landing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot said that after takeoff, at an altitude of about 300 feet above ground level (AGL), and an airspeed of 70 knots, '...the aircraft began to roll around it's longitudinal axis left then right continuously.' The pilot said that, 'the uncontrollable roll left/right started a descent of the aircraft.' The pilot was attempting to return to PNM when he determined that the aircraft was '... too low for landing at PNM and an emergency landing was made....' The pilot said that the left wing of the airplane struck a tree on landing and subsequently burst into flames as he was attempting to exit the aircraft. A postaccident examination revealed no identified anomalies with respect to the airframe or control system. The entire fuselage and the inboard portions of the wings were consumed by fire. The engine was examined and it evidenced fire damage.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,232 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 3,175 as pilot in command; 1,889 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PNM at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:57 pm from PNM
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 CHI99LA234.