Cessna 185 accident near Duluth, Minnesota, September 8, 1991
On September 8, 1991 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N1637Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Duluth, Minnesota (Unk airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PREMATURE TOUCHDOWN WHILE LANDING BY THE PIC/CFI. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE LOW CEILINGS, RAIN, AND HAZE; WEATHER EVALUATION MISJUDGED BY THE PIC/CFI; AND VISUAL OUTLOOK REDUCED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1991 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Duluth, Minnesota · Unk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N1637Z · no longer on the register · serial 1850437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN DETERIORATING FLIGHT CONDITIONS, A PREMATURE HARD LANDING OCCURRED WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE OVER OF THE FLOAT PLANE. THE AIRCRAFT SANK AND THE CFI AND DUAL STUDENT ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D36 Duluth MN at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DLH, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.