Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Baldwin, Wisconsin 54002
Sunday, September 20, 1992 20:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS (IMC) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT NIGHT. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS. CRUISE ALTITUDE WAS 2200 FEET. THE NEAREST WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND 705 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL (MSL). 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THEY REPORTED A 1200 FOOT CEILING. VISIBILITY WAS 7 MILES. THE ELEVATION IN THE ACCIDENT AREA VARIES BETWEEN 1100 AND 1300 FEET MSL. FORECASTS OBTAINED BY THE PILOT PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE CALLED FOR MARGINAL VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS DUE TO CEILINGS. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS PARALLELING A HIGHWAY AND USING THE LIGHTS FROM VEHICLES TO JUDGE VISIBILITY. THE LIGHTS BECAME OBSCURED BY CLOUDS AND THE PILOT STARTED A 180 DEGREE TURN. DURING THE TURN THE VISIBILITY WENT TO ZERO. HE TRIED TO REGAIN OUTSIDE VISUAL REFERENCE. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENTS THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A LEFT WING LOW DIVE. HE REDUCED POWER, LEVELED, AND PULLED UP THE NOSE. AS THE AIRPLANE LEVELED THEY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE PILOT SAW THE TREE LINE JUST BEFORE COLLISION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED VISUAL FLIGHT PROCEDURES IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/20/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2030
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City BALDWIN
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 54002
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1945 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID STP
Elevation of weather observation facility 705
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2948
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 21 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 40
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47794
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N90BF
NTSB Number CHI92LA283
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 182B
Aircraft Series Identifier 182B
Aircraft Serial Number 52147
Certified Max Gross Weight 2650
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 Aug 14 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 16
Airframe Hours 3650
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ALLAN E. JOHNSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 985 NEAL AVE.
Aircraft Owner City STILLWATER
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55082
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ALLAN E. JOHNSON
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 985 NEAL AVE.
Operator City STILLWATER
Operator State MN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 55082
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code Y78
Departure City MILWAUKEE
Departure State WI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1828
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 21D
Destination City LAKE ELMO
Destination State MN
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --