Cessna 180 accident near Bull Shoals, Arkansas, June 28, 1987
On June 28, 1987 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9161C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bull Shoals, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. 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
- June 28, 1987 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Bull Shoals, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9161C · registry record · serial 31260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THE WINDS WERE FOUR TO FIVE MPH FROM THE SW AS HE DEPARTED AND HE COULD SEE THUNDERSTORMS FOUR OR FIVE MILES TO THE WEST. HE OVERFLEW HIS DESTINATION WHEN HE SAW LARGE WAVES ON THE WATER. HE LANDED IN A SMOOTH-WATER COVE AND WAS TAXIING ACROSS THE LAKE WHEN A STRONG WIND LIFTED THE RIGHT WING ENOUGH FOR THE LEFT WING TO GO INTO THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE CAPSIZED AND SANK.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 845 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 674 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,649 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pontiac MO at 1:20 am
- Destination: Oakland AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 015° at 50 knots, gusting 60
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N9161C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MKC87LA129.