Cessna A185F accident near Lake Delton, Wisconsin, July 17, 1982
On July 17, 1982 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N8375Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Delton, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1982 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Delton, Wisconsin
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8375Q · registry record · serial 18503671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT NOTED A DETERIORATION OF POWER AS HE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 400 FT AGL. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE THE POWER AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT SLID A SHORT DISTANCE AND THEN NOSED OVER. AN EXAMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE RUN-UP REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,226 hours in all; 606 in this make and model; 236 in the last 90 days; 3,295 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 993 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Medo Base WI at 12:40 pm
- Destination: Medo Base WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 185°F (85°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.