| Crash location | 44.996666°N, 92.855000°W |
| Nearest city | Lake Elmo, MN
44.995800°N, 92.879377°W 1.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N8161T |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 14 Oct 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 175B |
| Additional details: | None |
On October 14, 2002, at 1215 central daylight time, a Cessna 175B, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with power transmission lines and subsequent collision with a hangar at the Lake Elmo Airport (21D), St. Paul, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight departed the General Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 1000.
According to the pilot's written statement, he had attempted to land on runway 22 (2,497 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at 21D and elected to go-around prior to touchdown. The pilot reported flying "about 90 to 100 mph" during the go-around and when he turned downwind he "encountered a wind shear." The pilot stated the encounter with the wind shear "increased angle of attack" and the "airplane stalled." The pilot reported, "I tried to regain control, pulled power, hit power lines and airplane hangar."
Gusting wind conditions were reported around the time of the accident, with a reported wind speed of 36 knots at 1218.
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors to the accident included the gusting wind conditions and the encountered windshear, which resulted in the inadvertent stall at a low altitude and subsequent in-flight collision with the transmission wire and hangar.