Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Webster, Wisconsin 54893
Thursday, August 12, 2004 15:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was destroyed during a high velocity impact with terrain. The pilot was cruising at 5,500 feet when he reported a "severe vibration" and that he was diverting to a nearby airport. Aircraft radar track data was collected from radar facilities along the route of flight. The plotted data showed that the accident airplane departed the Minneapolis metropolitan area to the northeast and continued on a northerly heading toward Duluth, Minnesota. The aircraft's ground speed averaged about 100 knots while on the northerly heading. A plot of the radar data indicated that the airplane made a course reversal to a southerly heading just prior to the accident. The last radar return was approximately 0.8 nm northeast of the accident site. During the final 38 seconds of aircraft radar track data, the airplane's calculated ground speed increased from 130 knots to 218 knots while established on the southerly heading. The aircraft's maximum structural cruising speed was 121 knots and the never exceed speed was 151 knots. The current winds aloft forecast indicated that the winds at 3,000 and 6,000 feet were out of the north, between 4 and 12 knots. The wreckage was located in an open area about 950 feet long and 400 feet wide. The initial impact crater was 11 feet long, 7 feet wide and 3 feet deep. A 38 foot long ground depression ran perpendicular to the crater. The ground depression was similar in length to the accident airplane's wingspan. All primary airframe structural components, flight control surfaces, engine components, and propeller blades were located within the debris field. Fragmented wreckage was found up to 190 feet from the initial impact crater. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, flight control systems, engine, or propeller that could be associated with a pre-impact malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The high velocity impact with terrain for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/12/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Webster |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54893 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 455763N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0921958W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1545 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RZN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 989 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 20809 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 12 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2007 9:40AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3599F |
| NTSB Number | CHI04FA223 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17259499 |
| 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 | Aug 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 1496.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Boundary Waters Aircraft, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2601 Silver Lane, Northeast |
| Aircraft Owner City | Minneapolis |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55421 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ANE |
| Departure City | Webster |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1503 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DLH |
| Destination City | Duluth |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Other |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2006 12:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |