Beech G18S accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 23, 1999
On July 23, 1999 at about 12:23 pm local time, a Beech G18S, registered N621KE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis St. Paul Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the premature gear retraction and proper runway alignment not maintained during takeoff by the pilot. An additional cause was the proper descent rate not maintained by the pilot. Contributing factors were the carburetor icing conditions
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1999 · about 12:23 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Minneapolis St. Paul Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G18S · all G18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N621KE · no longer on the register · serial BA 556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft departed off the 8,200-foot long runway 12L and while crossing 300 feet altitude and turning through 080 degrees to his assigned heading of 020, the right engine stopped developing power. The pilot checked the throttles, mixtures and propeller controls full forward, the boost pumps ON, and the fuel selected to the MAIN tanks. He then made the decision to turn back to runway 12L and execute an emergency landing. The pilot reported that as he turned into the dead engine he felt that 'the airplane was going to roll over on her back so I retarded the left engine to idle.' This resulted in a high sink rate, which the pilot attempted to correct with an increase in left engine power. Once again, the pilot felt as if he was losing control of the aircraft and again idled the left engine. He then lowered the landing gear, flattened the attitude and 'mushed' hard onto the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed and the right engine 'came alive' after which the pilot secured both mixtures. Post-crash examination by FAA personnel revealed no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 9,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: May Air Express
The flight
- Departed from: MSP at 12:23 pm
- Destination: DLH Duluth MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12L, 8,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from MSP
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.
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.