- Date
- April 4, 1988, 18:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hardwick, MN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N207CACessna 207
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880404048919A
- Case key
- 13940
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses observed the aircraft for aprx 8 minutes in erratic diving, climbing, and steep-turning maneuvers which culminated in a 12 degree descent to the ground. The sound of the eng was heard throughout the sequence and other evidence indicated engine power at impact. The aircraft struck trees, a farm bldg, farm equipment, and a vehicle, then burst into flames. The wreckage was strewn along a 320 ft path. No evidence of flight control malfunction was found. The plt claimed an upset stomach before the flt. The pilot's speech was slurred in radio transmissions. The plt did not respond to the last radio call from sioux falls tower. No emergency or distress calls were received from the pilot. The postmortem exam of the plt did not identify specific impairment but was limited due to the severity of the impact and fire damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N207CA
- Reported as
- Cessna 207
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2070097
- Airframe hours
- 12,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Northland Air Freight, doing business as Northland Air Freight
- Registered owner
- Northland Air Freight
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FSD · Sioux Falls, SD
- Destination
- MIC · Crystal, MN
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 260 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FSD, 26 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.