Cessna A185F accident near Phillips, Wisconsin, August 4, 1998
On August 4, 1998 at about 2:11 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N888KS, was destroyed in an accident near Phillips, Wisconsin. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance with trees. Contributing factors were fog, rain showers, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1998 · about 2:11 pm local time
- Place
- Phillips, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N888KS · registry record · serial 18503905
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a flight to attend a business meeting. The overdue flight was located 22 days later after an extensive search. The aircraft impacted trees, traveled 165 feet before coming to rest at an elevation of 1,800 feet MSL. Local authorities reported the weather in the area near the accident on the morning of the accident as consisting of fog and light rain. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction. The toxicological examination revealed the following: 6.24 ug/ml Diphenhydramine detected in the liver, 0.208 ug/ml Paroxetine detected in the muscle, and 24.4 ug/ml Paroxetine detected in the liver. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine commonly used in over-the counter cold/allergy medications. Paroxetine is a prescription antidepressant which is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic attacks.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,032 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 3, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SUW Superior WI at 1:00 pm
- Destination: GRB Green Bay WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:02 pm from PBH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.