# Accident 19970307002669A: Piper PA28181, Mosinee, WI, March 7, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 1997, 17:40 local time
- Place: Mosinee, WI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.7795° N, 89.6809° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.7795&lon=-89.6809&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8259M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8259M-1999-08-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4M
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 100 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970307002669A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT ENGINE FAILED WHILE HOLDING, CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA. (.4)THE DUAL STUDENT STATED THAT THEY WERE HOLDING IN IMC CONDITIONS AT 4,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) WHEN MINNEAPOLIS AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) CLEARED THEM FOR THE APPROACH. ' WE WERE TOLD OVERFLY THE AIRPORT AT 4,000 FEET ON THE LOCALIZER BACK COURSE AND THEN INTERCEPT THE ILS.  AS I LEFT THE HOLDING PATTERN, THE ENGINE SHOOK VIOLENTLY FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS, FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE.  I ESTABLISHED A GLIDE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ARTCC.'  THE PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND OVER A FOREST.  THE DUAL STUDENT SAID, 'I LOOKED FOR THE LEAST DENSE AREA AND HEADED FOR THAT SITE.  WE BEGAN ENCOUNTERING THE TREES JUST AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STALL THE PLANE.  WE CAME TO REST IN A WOODED, SWAMPY AREA.'   EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.  ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/FAA/CT-82/44 PUBLICATION:  LIGHT AIRCRAFT PISTON ENGINE CARBURETOR ICE DETECTOR/WARNING DEVICE SENSITIVITY/EFFECTIVENESS, JUNE                                                                                      1982, CARURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART; THE TEMPERATURE (21 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) AND DEW POINT (16 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) AT THE TIME THE AIRPLANE LOST POWER PLACES THE PROBABILITY FOR CARBURETOR ICING IN THE 'ICING-GLIDE AND CRUISE POWER' AREA OF THE CHART. (-23) WHILE HOLDING IN IMC AT A POWER SETTING OF 2200 RPM ENGINE LOST POWER TO 900 RPM. THE PILOT STATED HE ACCOMPLISHED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST INCLUDING THE APPLICATION OF CARB. HEAT TO NO AVAIL.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AND SKIDDE THROUGH 60 YARDS OF 11/2 TO 2" DIAMETER TREES.  THE IMPACT SHEARED OFF THE NOSE GEAR, BENT THE PROP, COLLAPSED BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING LEADING EDGES AND SHEARED OFF 18" OF THE RIGHT STABILIZER.  POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BY FAA INSPECTOR C. EBERT INDICATED THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMAL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA081), Mar 7, 1997: Piper PA-28-181 (N8259M), Mosinee, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The formation of carburetor ice and the instructor pilot's failure to recognize conditions leading to carburetor icing and to take appropriate preventative action. Factors relating to this accident…

## Other reports on N8259M (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19821117059169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19821117059169A), Nov 17, 1982: Piper PA28181 (N8259M), Grayslake, IL, Substantial damage. Bounced on landing. Lost control. Ran off into a ditch. No defects found. Possible nose wheel defected by pilot.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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