What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On take off roll from runway, right tire hit a finger drift and pulled aircraft into a snowbank and flipped over. (-23) on February 15, 1997, at 0430AM, Cessna 172M, N61914, commenced a take-off from rwy 11, Oconto Municipal Airport, Oconto, Wisconsin, on a 14CFR91 flight with VMC prevailing. At approximately rotation speed the right main landing gear impacted a finger shaped snow drift protruding from the right edge of the runway. Upon impact the left wing tip of the aircraft dropped contacting the surface of the pavement which resulted in the aircraft turning approximately 180 degrees, rolling over longitudinally, and coming to rest on top of the fuselage in a snow drift along the right side of the runway. The pilot was the only person on board and sustained no injuries. Inspection of the aircraft after the accident revealed substantial damage to the left wing and spar, sudden stoppage of the engine, curled tips on both propeller blades, minor damage to the top of the vertical stabilizer, and a small buckle (dent) in the left rear fuselage area directly aft of the baggage door.
As the FAA filed it
ON TAKE OFF ROLL FROM RUNWAY, RIGHT TIRE HIT A FINGER DRIFT AND PULLED AIRCRAFT INTO A SNOWBANK AND FLIPPED OVER. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 15, 1997, AT 0430AM, CESSNA 172M, N61914, COMMENCED A TAKE-OFF FROM RWY 11, OCONTO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OCONTO, WISCONSIN, ON A 14CFR91 FLIGHT WITH VMC PREVAILING. AT APPROXIMATELY ROTATION SPEED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED A FINGER SHAPED SNOW DRIFT PROTRUDING FROM THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. UPON IMPACT THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED CONTACTING THE SURFACE OF THE PAVEMENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT TURNING APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES, ROLLING OVER LONGITUDINALLY, AND COMING TO REST ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE IN A SNOW DRIFT ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND SPAR, SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE, CURLED TIPS ON BOTH PROPELLER BLADES, MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND A SMALL BUCKLE (DENT) IN THE LEFT REAR FUSELAGE AREA DIRECTLY AFT OF THE BAGGAGE DOOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.