Cessna 188 accident near Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, July 3, 1988
On July 3, 1988 at about 4:15 am local time, a Cessna 188, registered N3546Q, was destroyed in an accident near Sentinel Butte, North Dakota. It was a ferry 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).
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
- July 3, 1988 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- Sentinel Butte, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N3546Q · registry record · serial 188-0496
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR SENTINEL BUTTE, ND, EN ROUTE TO BEACH, ND. HE SAID THERE WAS A NARROW CLOUD AHEAD, APPROXIMATELY 5-8 MILES LONG, AND EMITTING LIGHTNING, BUT IT DID NOT APPEAR TO HIM TO THREATEN FLIGHT SAFETY. THE PILOT SAID HE SUDDENLY HIT TURBULENCE AND THE WINGS ROLLED VERTICAL, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT A DOWNDRAFT. THE PILOT ADDED FULL POWER AND ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT BRUSHED SOME TREE TOPS, THEN HIT A HILL, TEARING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT THE GROUND AND SKIDDED INTO ANOTHER HILL. THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT SAID HE NEVER FLEW UNDER THE CLOUD.
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
- Flight time: 3,827 hours in all; 2,456 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,685 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 1988; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Sentinel Butte ND at 4:00 am
- Destination: 204 Beach ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 9 knots, gusting 50
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.
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.