Cessna 180 accident near Bowstring, Minnesota, July 17, 2005
On July 17, 2005 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N4652B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bowstring, Minnesota (Bowstring Lake airport). 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 unsuitable water conditions for takeoff selected by the pilot and his inability to maintain aircraft control in the rough water. Contributing factors were the aborted takeoff initiated by the pilot, the rough water conditions and the high, gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2005 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bowstring, Minnesota · Bowstring Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4652B · no longer on the register · serial 31550
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The fixed-float equipped airplane sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during an aborted takeoff in rough water. The pilot reported that by the time he arrived the lake was "rough" and the tie downs were not holding. He stated that during the takeoff run he decided that it was "too rough to continue." He reported that he "let up" on the throttle and was slowing down, when the left float "caught a wave" and the airplane nosed over. Wind conditions recorded by the Bigfork Municipal Airport (FOZ) Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), located 18 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, at 1335, were from 170 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 27 knots. The pilot reported winds from 140 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
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: 429 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 363 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,317.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R46B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bowstring MN at 6:40 pm
- Destination: Little Turttle MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from FOZ, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.