Cessna 180 accident near Cotton, Minnesota, August 1, 1981
On August 1, 1981 at about 11:15 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N4988E, was destroyed in an accident near Cotton, Minnesota. 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
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER AN ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1981 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Cotton, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4988E · no longer on the register · serial 30103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ENROUTE IN THE COMPANY OF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, CLOUDS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED VFR INTO IMC CONDITIONS. SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTURE FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT OCCURRED AND ALTITUDE WAS NOT MAINTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND THE TERRAIN IN A REMOTE AREA. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON AUGUST 1, 1981. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON NOVEMBER 5, 1990.
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: 207 hours in all; 63 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Sand Lake MN at 11:00 am
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 am from DLH, 23 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.