The VOR beacon pulled planes a mile off course - did they make it?
Notes de l’épisode
A damaged VOR beacon led a charter plane a mile off course toward a Minnesota runway - did they make it in time?
The VOR beacon pulled planes a mile off course - did they make it?
In this episode, we lay out the flight, the political stakes, and the pieces investigators had to assemble after a King Air A100 crashed two miles short of Eveleth’s runway. Who the passengers were, what the pilots’ records showed, and how a faulty VOR became central to the reconstruction drive the story - what crucial questions remain?
Person: Paul Wellstone
Date: October 25, 2002
Location: Eveleth, Minnesota
Event: Beechcraft King Air A100 crash
Status: No flight recorders aboard
- The King Air A100 departed for a roughly one-hour charter flight carrying eight people, including Senator Paul Wellstone, en route to Eveleth on the morning of October 25, 2002.
- The aircraft struck dense forest about two miles short of the Eveleth runway at 10:22 a.m.; there were no survivors and the plane had no black boxes.
- Technicians tested the local VOR beacon the next morning and found it pulled aircraft approximately one mile off course, aiming toward the eventual impact site.
- Investigators reconstructed the final minutes using radar returns, radio transcripts, the damaged VOR, and testimony from pilots who had flown with the two cockpit crew members.
- The NTSB cited crew error, the FBI investigated possible sabotage, and documents from that probe were sealed for eight years, leaving unanswered threads about the flight’s last decisions.
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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
The VOR beacon pulled planes a mile off course - did they make it?
In this episode, we lay out the flight, the political stakes, and the pieces investigators had to assemble after a King Air A100 crashed two miles short of Eveleth’s runway. Who the passengers were, what the pilots’ records showed, and how a faulty VOR became central to the reconstruction drive the story - what crucial questions remain?
Person: Paul Wellstone
Date: October 25, 2002
Location: Eveleth, Minnesota
Event: Beechcraft King Air A100 crash
Status: No flight recorders aboard
- The King Air A100 departed for a roughly one-hour charter flight carrying eight people, including Senator Paul Wellstone, en route to Eveleth on the morning of October 25, 2002.
- The aircraft struck dense forest about two miles short of the Eveleth runway at 10:22 a.m.; there were no survivors and the plane had no black boxes.
- Technicians tested the local VOR beacon the next morning and found it pulled aircraft approximately one mile off course, aiming toward the eventual impact site.
- Investigators reconstructed the final minutes using radar returns, radio transcripts, the damaged VOR, and testimony from pilots who had flown with the two cockpit crew members.
- The NTSB cited crew error, the FBI investigated possible sabotage, and documents from that probe were sealed for eight years, leaving unanswered threads about the flight’s last decisions.
Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317291
© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].