Cessna 182 accident near Columbus, Wisconsin, August 18, 1990
On August 18, 1990 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N20824, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbus, Wisconsin. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SKYDIVER'S PANIC AND FAILURE TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT AS INSTRUCTED. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE SKYDIVER'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1990 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N20824 · registry record · serial 18261236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER CLIMBING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT ON HIS FIRST JUMP, THE SKYDIVER FROZE ON THE LIFT STRUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE JUMPMASTER DEPLOYED HIS CHUTE, INTENTIONALLY PULLING HIM OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CHUTE DEPLOYED ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, THE SKYDIVER WENT BELOW. THE CANOPY LINES (4) WERE DRAGGED ACROSS THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER CUTTING THE LINES AND DAMAGING THE STABILIZER. THE SKYDIVER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES ON LANDING IN A FIELD. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WITH NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,035 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,698 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 15, 1990; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from MSN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI90DEP09.