Cessna 185B accident near Brainerd, Minnesota, August 4, 2002
On August 4, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185B, registered N11LP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brainerd, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's evasive maneuver to avoid obstacle clearance, resulting in a premature lift off with inadequate airspeed followed by a stall. The presence of the boat was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brainerd, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185B · all 185Bs on the register
- Registration
- N11LP · no longer on the register · serial 1850574
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The float equipped airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted the water just after liftoff from a lake. Witnesses in a boat reported that the airplane lifted off 30 feet behind a skier that was being pulled behind the boat. They reported that the airplane then climbed to 30 feet above the boat, banked sharply to the left, and crashed into the lake. Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no preexisting defects. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions in his report of the accident. The pilot did not submit a narrative description of the accident events.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 730 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 720 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 21, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D9B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Brainerd MI at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Minong WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 7:02 pm from BRD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N11LP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.