Cessna 180 accident near Carlton, Minnesota, December 5, 1987
On December 5, 1987 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2957C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlton, Minnesota (Carlton airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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
- December 5, 1987 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Carlton, Minnesota · Carlton
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2957C · registry record · serial 30857
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AS HE STARTED TO TAXI FROM THE RAMP AREA ON A SMOOTH GRASS SURFACE. WHEN THE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE LEFT WING DROPPED TO THE GROUND & WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DMGD. THE PLT RPRTD THE LEFT GEAR LEG HAD BROKEN OFF 2 INCHES 'INSIDE THE BULKHEAD.' AN EXAM OF THE BROKEN PART REVEALED IT HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE.
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
- Flight time: 9,400 hours in all; 350 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,582 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.