Stinson L-5 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 6, 1989
On August 6, 1989 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Stinson L-5, registered N68591, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT SELECTED THE WRONG RUNWAY AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE CROSSWIND WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1989 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Flying Cloud · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson L-5 · all L-5s on the register
- Registration
- N68591 · registry record · serial 42-98667
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF WITH A 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT AT ABOUT 14 KNOTS, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. AN ALTERNATE RUNWAY INTO THE WIND WAS AVALABLE, BUT WAS NOT SELECTED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 433 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 386 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1989; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Confederate Air Force
The flight
- Departed from: FCM at 11:30 pm
- Destination: STP St Paul MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 pm from FCM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N68591 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MKC89LA174.