Cessna 180 accident near Marshall, Minnesota, April 6, 1989
On April 6, 1989 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N7510K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marshall, Minnesota. 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 FAILURE OF AN UNAPPROVED WELD BETWEEN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND MUFFLER. THE FAILED WELD RESULTED IN THE MUFFLER SEPARATING AND AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1989 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Marshall, Minnesota · 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
- N7510K · registry record · serial 18052656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT EXHAUST SYSTEM SEPARATED RESULTING IN AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE. THE RESULTANT ENGINE FAILURE NECESSITATED A FORCED LANDING. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A SOFT FIELD. AIRCRAFT FLIPPED INVERTED AND INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM REVEALED AN IMPROPER WELD BETWEEN THE MUFFLER AND THE EXHAUST. THE WELD FAILED AND THE MUFFLER SEPARATED.
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
- Flight time: 3,001 hours in all; 1,929 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,131 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1988; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MML Marshall MN at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 MKC89LA087.