Cessna 551 accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, December 3, 2007
On December 3, 2007 at about 2:45 am local time, a Cessna 551, registered N551GF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (Coeur D'Alene Air Terminal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 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 aircraft control during landing roll out. Contributing to the accident was the slush contaminated runway and the crosswind weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2007 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho · Coeur D'Alene Air Terminal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 551 · all 551s on the register
- Registration
- N551GF · registry record · serial 551-0039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was landing at night on a runway contaminated with 2.5 inches of slush and a 60-degree left crosswind at 16 knots, gusting to 22 knots. After the airplane touched down, it immediately began hydroplaning to the right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding power to the right engine to regain directional control; however, the nose landing gear struck a concrete pad, which was supporting a lighted runway sign. The landing gear separated from the airplane and struck the leading edge of the left wing, which created an indentation and hole. The nose landing gear wheel well was structurally deformed, and required a major repair to rectify. Prior to landing, a vehicle had tested the runway’s braking action, and the pilot was informed that it was "POOR."
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 16,500 as pilot in command; 6,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 14, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 7, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,673 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 29, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 12,700 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitney JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ccm Aviation L.L.C.
The flight
- Departed from: HND Henderson NV at 11:55 pm
- Destination: COE Coeur D'Alene ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 7,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; a few clouds at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 am from COE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 SEA08LA041.