Cessna 180 accident near Eveleth, Minnesota, June 7, 2008
On June 7, 2008 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N4701U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Eveleth, Minnesota (Sky Harbor Seaplane Base 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 pilot elected to land on a grass airstrip that was unsuitable for landing due to the wet, soft runway conditions. The wet, soft runway were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2008 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eveleth, Minnesota · Sky Harbor Seaplane Base · 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
- N4701U · registry record · serial 18051401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had contacted the fixed base operator the day prior to the accident to check on the condition of the grass airstrip, and was told that airplanes had departed and landed on the grass airstrip during the day. The pilot called the fixed base operator on the morning of the accident but no one answered the phone. The pilot was unaware that it had rained at the airstrip during the night. He over flew the grass airstrip prior to landing and did not observe any standing water or signs of ground softness, so he landed on the grass strip. During landing roll, the main landing gear sank into a wet, soft area of the airstrip, and the airplane nosed over.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Wet › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,885 hours in all; 683 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABR Aberdeen SD at 7:50 pm
- Destination: Eveleth MN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 180, 1,900 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.