Cessna 140 accident near Madison, South Dakota, March 12, 2018
On March 12, 2018 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 140, registered N2011N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Madison, South Dakota (Madison Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s delayed aborted takeoff on a soft, wet, grass runway, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2018 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, South Dakota · Madison Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 UNDESIGNAT, built 1947 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2011N · registry record · serial 12247
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor, acting as a safety pilot, in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, to expedite takeoff, he decided to take off from the grass runway instead of the concrete runway. He added that, about midway into the soft-field takeoff roll, he observed that the airplane was "struggling to build airspeed." He added that the runway had previously thawed and was "wet spongy sod." He reduced power and began to apply the brakes to abort the takeoff, but the airplane overran the runway, impacted a snow bank, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 418 as pilot in command; 86 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 22, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,324 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C-85-12F (piston); 1,051 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDS Madison SD at 10:15 pm
- Destination: MDS Madison SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 2,380 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KMDS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 GAA18CA166.