What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Student pilot was on approach to RY26 when acft struck a semi truck on interstate 94, Sylvania, WI. (.4)witnesses reported the airplane approached the runway at a '...very low angle... .' The airplane crossed a 4-lane highway that was perpendicular to the runway and final approach course. The landing gear struck the top of a southbound semi-trailer truck's air deflector and trailer, then the airplane collided with the ground about 140-feet west of the truck collision point. According to the pilot's logbook, she had accumulated over 37 hours of total flight experience. She had flown about 26 hours at an airport that had runways 100 and 150-feet wide, and about 11 hours at the accident airport runway, 33 feet wide. According to a human performance specialist at the faa's civil aeromedical institute, runway width differences may be a source of distortion in perception during landing. When the runway is narrower than normal, the pilot may experience an illusion that causes them to fly a lower than normal final approach path. (-23) on 12-13-97 at approximately 15:45 local time N5454S on final approach to runway 26 at Sylvania Airport crashed approximately 75 yard short of the runway after contacting the top of a semitractor trailer which was south bound on interstate 94. The aircraft was being flown by student pilot amanda lee psket cert #EE1779816 who sustained serious injuries. Ms. Psket was transported by flight for life helicopter to froedtert memorial hospital in milwaukee where she was pronounced dead at 18:55 if massive internal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
STUDENT PILOT WAS ON APPROACH TO RY26 WHEN ACFT STRUCK A SEMI TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 94, SYLVANIA, WI. (.4)WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY AT A '...VERY LOW ANGLE... .' THE AIRPLANE CROSSED A 4-LANE HIGHWAY THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY AND FINAL APPROACH COURSE. THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE TOP OF A SOUTHBOUND SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK'S AIR DEFLECTOR AND TRAILER, THEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 140-FEET WEST OF THE TRUCK COLLISION POINT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK, SHE HAD ACCUMULATED OVER 37 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. SHE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 26 HOURS AT AN AIRPORT THAT HAD RUNWAYS 100 AND 150-FEET WIDE, AND ABOUT 11 HOURS AT THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT RUNWAY, 33 FEET WIDE. ACCORDING TO A HUMAN PERFORMANCE SPECIALIST AT THE FAA'S CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INSTITUTE, RUNWAY WIDTH DIFFERENCES MAY BE A SOURCE OF DISTORTION IN PERCEPTION DURING LANDING. WHEN THE RUNWAY IS NARROWER THAN NORMAL, THE PILOT MAY EXPERIENCE AN ILLUSION THAT CAUSES THEM TO FLY A LOWER THAN NORMAL FINAL APPROACH PATH. (-23) ON 12-13-97 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:45 LOCAL TIME N5454S ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 26 AT SYLVANIA AIRPORT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 75 YARD SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AFTER CONTACTING THE TOP OF A SEMITRACTOR TRAILER WHICH WAS SOUTH BOUND ON INTERSTATE 94. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN BY STUDENT PILOT AMANDA LEE PSKET CERT #EE1779816 WHO SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. MS. PSKET WAS TRANSPORTED BY FLIGHT FOR LIFE HELICOPTER TO FROEDTERT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN MILWAUKEE WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 18:55 IF MASSIVE INTERNAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5454S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.