Cessna 180A accident near Sioux, South Dakota, February 1, 1985
On February 1, 1985 at about 9:24 pm local time, a Cessna 180A, registered CFCBT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sioux, South Dakota. 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
- February 1, 1985 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Sioux, South Dakota
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- CFCBT · no longer on the register · serial 32697
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT DEPARTED WINNEPEG AT 1035 AND LANDED AT GRAND FORKS, ND, AT 1150. DEPARTED GRAND FORKS, ND, AT 1305 AND THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1524. 4 MILES NW OF SIOUX FALLS, SD, THE PLT REPORTED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FIELD 2 1/2 MILES NORTH OF SIOUX FALLS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED LITTLE FUEL IN THE TANKS. TTL FUEL CAPACITY WAS 62 GALLONS. THE ACFT BURNS APRX 15 GALLONS/HR AND CONTAINS 10 GALLONS UNUSABLE FUEL.
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: 650 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,567 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Grand Forks ND at 7:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:26 pm from FSD, 70 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.