Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Browntown, Wisconsin 53522
Wednesday, April 1, 1992 11:17 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE STUDENT PILOT HAD BEEN PLANNING TO TAKE HIS LONG SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS. ON THE ACCIDENT DATE THE STUDENT OBTAINED A COMPUTER WEATHER BRIEFING. THE WEATHER FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS FORECASTED TO HAVE A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. WEATHER AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE TIME OF THE BRIEFING AND PREDEPARTURE DISCUSSION THE STUDENT HAD WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR. THE STUDENT DEPARTED ON THE SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT DURING VERY LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. APPROXIMATELY 8 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER THE STUDENT DEPARTED ON HIS FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED HIM ON THE RADIO. THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE STUDENT HOW THE WEATHER WAS. THE STUDENT REPLIED THE VISIBILITY WAS THREE MILES. SHORTLY AFTER THIS CONVERSATION THE STUDENT CALLED THE AIRPORT AND STATED HE WAS LOST AND HAVING DIFFICULTY. THE AIRPORT MANAGER, A NON-PILOT, TOLD THE STUDENT TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. A GROUND WITNESS STATED HE HEARD AN AIRPLANE FLY OVER HEAD TWO TIMES DURING VERY HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS. DURING THE SECOND PASS THE WITNESS STATED HE HEARD A VACILLATING ENGINE SOUND AND A LOUD CRASH SOUND. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE SOUNDS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE SNOW CONDITIONS, AN INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION BY BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR, OVER CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY, INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION, VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS, AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE ON BEHALF OF THE PILOT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/1/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1117 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | BROWNTOWN |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 53522 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2532 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47364 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3884R |
| NTSB Number | CHI92FA119 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172H |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172-55384 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 7 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 3331 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BARRY F. HEISER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | W9371 RAT HOLLOW RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ARGYLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53504 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PAUL M. MOE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | W2952 WALNUT ST. |
| Operator City | JUDA |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 53550 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | C33 |
| Departure City | MONROE |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1055 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RST |
| Destination City | ROCHESTER |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |