Cessna 150 accident near Bemidgi, Minnesota, May 22, 2018
On May 22, 2018, a 1964 Cessna 150, registered N5999T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bemidgi, Minnesota (Bemidji Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a side load and subsequent failure of the left main landing gear extension casting.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2018
- Place
- Bemidgi, Minnesota · Bemidji Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 D, built 1964 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5999T · no longer on the register · serial 15060699
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a right crosswind gust, and the right wing lifted. He added that "the airplane sidestepped to the left and the left main landing gear wheel assembly separated, and the left-wing tip struck the ground." The left main landing gear strut contacted the runway surface, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear attachment points. The METAR at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 180° at 6 knots. The student landed the airplane on runway 13. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Photographs taken by the pilot during a postaccident examination revealed that an extension casting, which was part of the tailwheel conversion kit, failed where the two lower landing gear strut attachment bolts connect to the extension casting.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,461 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 3,461 hours total
- Operator: Bemidji Flying Club INC.
The flight
- Departed from: BJI Bemidgi MN at 11:44 pm
- Destination: BJI Bemidgi MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,004 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum - Student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.