West Bend Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Bend, Wisconsin 53095
Monday, March 27, 1989 12:45 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, THE PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO DECREASE HIS RATE OF DESCENT; HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER, THOUGH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. HE SELECTED THE DRYEST AVAILABLE FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AFTER CROSSING OVER AN OBSTRUCTION (POWER LINE), HE LANDED. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SOFT TERRAIN & STARTED TO NOSE OVER AS IT WAS CROSSING UNDER A SECOND POWER LINE. BEFORE NOSING OVER, ITS TAIL SNAGGED ON THE SECOND POWER LINE & THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE. AN EXAM OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD PARTIALLY FAILED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THROTTLE MOVEMENT WOULD NOT OPERATE THE THROTTLE ARM.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE CABLE. UNSUITABLE (SOFT) TERRAIN AND TRANSMISSION WIRES IN THE LANDING AREA WERE CONSIDERED TO BE FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/27/1989
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1245
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City WEST BEND
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 53095
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WEST BEND MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ETB
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 888
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 11 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 340
Weather Observation Facility ID MWC
Elevation of weather observation facility 723
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 155
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 27 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1310
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38474
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9578V
NTSB Number CHI89DEP02
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172M
Aircraft Series Identifier 172M
Aircraft Serial Number 17264380
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 Dec 22 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 93
Airframe Hours 5272
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name R.A. MEEUSEN/D.L. MEEUSEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address W224N 2513 RIDGE WOOD LN.
Aircraft Owner City WAUKESHA
Aircraft Owner State WI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 53186
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GRAN AIRE, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 9305 WEST APPLETON AVE.
Operator City MILWAUKEE
Operator State WI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 53225
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 MWC
Departure City MILWAUKEE
Departure State WI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code ETB
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 24
Runway Length 3900
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --