Cessna 180 accident near Roundup, Montana, February 10, 1988
On February 10, 1988 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N7661A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roundup, Montana (Roundup airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1988 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Roundup, Montana · Roundup · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N7661A · registry record · serial 32558
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PLT RANCHER WAS COMPLETING A WORK FLT. DURING THE FLT, THE PLT MADE 5 OFF ARPT LANDINGS IN SNOW 5 TO 6 INCHES DEEP. THE LANDING ON WHICH THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WAS MADE AT A LOCAL ARPT ON A SNOW COVERED RWY. DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT SANK INTO DEEP SNOW AND NOSED OVER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE DEPTH OF THE SNOW ON THE RWY WAS DETERMINED TO BE APRX 12 INCHES. NO NOTAMS PERTAINING TO SNOW ON THE RWY WERE ISSUED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BUT A NOTAM WAS ISSUED AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: 680 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 1988; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWQ Harlowton MT at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 5°F (-15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 DEN88LA067.