Cessna 182RG accident near Cottonville, Iowa, October 3, 2025
On October 3, 2025 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 182RG, registered N4609S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Cottonville, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2025 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cottonville, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182RG, built 1979 · all 182RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4609S · registry record · serial R18201355
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 3, 2025, about 1720 central daylight time, a Cessna 182RG airplane, N4609S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cottonville, Iowa. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during cruise flight he noticed an increase in engine rpm. He attempted to increase the pitch of the propeller to decrease engine rpm, but there was no response from the engine. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and was cleared to descend to 4, 000 ft mean sea level (msl) and to proceed to Dubuque Regional Airport, Dubuque, Iowa. The pilot stated that as he leveled at 4,000 ft msl, he heard a sound similar to an engine misfire, and the engine immediately shook “violently” and ran rough as the airplane started descending rapidly. The pilot noticed the engine oil pressure gauge had dropped to zero. The pilot executed a forced landing to a road. During the rollout, the left wing struck the shoulder of the road, the airplane departed the roadway and impacted a barbed wire fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut, right horizontal stabilizer, and the fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: irk Kirksville MO at 9:06 pm
- Destination: c29 Middleton WI
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDBQ, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDBQ 032153Z 20010KT 10SM CLR 30/16 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP190 T03000156,M
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.