- Date
- August 1, 1981, 06:15 local (11:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cotton, MN
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Aircraft
- N4988ECessna 180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19810801090249A
- Case key
- 11967
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain altitude and aircraft control after an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions.
Analysis
While enroute in the company of another aircraft, clouds were encountered. The aircraft continued VFR into IMC conditions. Subsequently departure from controlled flight occurred and altitude was not maintained. The aircraft impacted trees and the terrain in a remote area. The accident occurred on August 1, 1981. The aircraft was located on November 5, 1990.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4988E
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30103
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Irvin W. Gries
- Departed
- NONE · Sand Lake, MN
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 63 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- DLH, 23 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4988E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.