Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin 53538
Saturday, February 5, 2011 15:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a local flight, the pilot decided to overfly a frozen lake at low altitude. He reduced engine power to idle and the airplane descended to about 10 feet above the lake. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent with an increase of engine power; however, advancing the engine throttle did not result in an increase in engine power. A forced landing was immediately performed on the frozen lake. The airplane encountered an area of deep snow during touchdown and subsequently nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer, rudder, right wing, fuselage, and engine firewall. A postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies or failures that would have prevented its normal operation. A postaccident engine run was not performed due to the observed airframe and propeller damage. Although the pilot reported that he did not apply carburetor heat during the airplane's descent to the lake, a review of a carburetor icing probability chart and the weather at the time of the accident revealed that the conditions were not conducive to the accretion of carburetor ice. Local law enforcement reported that upon their arrival at the accident site there was ample fuel found within the airplane's fuel tanks.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during a low-altitude pass over a frozen lake.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/5/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Lake Koshkonong |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 53538 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 425317N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0885726W |
| 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 | 1445 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KJVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 808 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| 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) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.59 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KJVL 052045Z 26005KT 10SM BKN080 M02/M10 A2959= |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29206 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA - Great Lakes ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2011 1:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5945H |
| NTSB Number | CEN11LA177 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-16 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 16-568 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 4 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1704 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David L. McCoy |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Helenville |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53137-9744 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | David L. McCoy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Helenville |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 53137-9744 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 88C |
| Departure City | Palmyra |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 88C |
| Destination City | Palmyra |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2011 11:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |