| Crash location | 48.154167°N, 94.516945°W |
| Nearest city | Waskish, MN
48.180796°N, 94.493564°W 2.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N8112U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 03 Feb 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172F |
| Additional details: | None |
On February 3, 2003, at 1530 central standard time, a Cessna 172F, N8112U, owned and piloted by a private pilot, received substantial damage after hitting a snow bank and nosing over during an aborted takeoff on Upper Red Lake, Waskish, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that he landed on Upper Red Lake and unloaded fishing gear and two passengers. He told them that he would pick them up on a plowed road located about 1 1/2 miles away because he thought that there was too much snow on the lake for him to takeoff with the two passengers.
He stated that he attempted the takeoff from Upper Red Lake with the wind, which he reported as 320 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 20 knots. During the takeoff, he realized that he couldn't lift off and attempted to stop the airplane, which resulted in the airplane impacting a snow drift and nosing over.
The inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot. Contributing factors were the snow covered takeoff area and the tailwind.