Cessna 182A accident near Sauk City, Wisconsin, July 28, 2000
On July 28, 2000 at about 11:55 am local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4742D, was destroyed in an accident near Sauk City, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR flight into IMC encountered by the pilot and exceeding the design limits of the aircraf. A factor was flight to a destination alternate not performed by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2000 · about 11:55 am local time
- Place
- Sauk City, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4742D · registry record · serial 34842
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain during a cross-country flight. Recorded weather and witness indicate that instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was not instrument rated. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: IIB Independence IA
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 144°F (62°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 am from DLL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.