Cessna 170 accident near Boyceville, Wisconsin, August 21, 1988
On August 21, 1988 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N3804V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boyceville, Wisconsin (Boyceville Muni. airport). 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
- August 21, 1988 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Boyceville, Wisconsin · Boyceville Muni. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3804V · registry record · serial 18662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND AND THE PILOT FAILED TO COMPENSATE ADEQUATELY FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND DECIDED TO REJECT THE TAKEOFF AND EXECUTE A LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SANDY GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS WAS REDUCED DUE TO THE SANDY CONDITION OF THE SOIL; THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM CONTINUING INTO A DITCH AFTER THE LANDING.
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: 477 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 477 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 1987; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LSE La Crosse WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,720 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from EAU, 25 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.