Boeing A75N1(PT17) accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota, May 16, 2018
On May 16, 2018 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1942 Boeing A75N1(PT17), registered N63794, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Flying Cloud 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2018 · about 3:00 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
- Boeing A75N1(PT17) UNDESIGNAT, built 1942 · all A75N1(PT17)s on the register
- Registration
- N63794 · registry record · serial 75-3739
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during a flight with a check pilot, while landing in crosswind conditions, the tailwheel-equipped biplane veered left. The pilot overcorrected with right rudder, and the biplane ground looped to the right. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 230° at 7 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 28R.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,030 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,880 as pilot in command; 80 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,559.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6N (piston); 1,560 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCM Minneapolis MN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: FCM Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28R, 3,898 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KFCM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (1) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (2) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.