19981129032399A

Acft crashed into a field under unknown circumstances. (.19) on November 29, 1998, at 1610 central standard time (CST), a Cessna 172F, N72RE, operated by a private pilot was destroyed when while maneuvering near Coleman, Wisconsin, the airplane struck a stand of trees and subsequently impacted into a wooded area. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot and a passenger on board were fatally injured. A pilot-rated passenger on board sustained serious injuries. The cross-country flight originated near clarion, Pennsylvania, and was en route to Coleman, Wisconsin. (-23) N72RE, a 1965 Cessna 172F, serial # 17252068 was descending from altitude intending to land on the pilot's private strip (ermis ridgeview). Ronald ermis, pilot certificate # 390728850 asel and his wife sandra, pilot certificate #396767529 asel and their daughter sonia, were on board the aircraft returning from a family outgoing in clarion, Pennsylvania. The aircraft crashed 6 miles east of highway 141, on highway m, and 1/4 mile north of m in a wooded area in marinette county, Wisconsin at 22:00Z. Weather conditions reported in marinette at 292235Z 16007KT 1 1/4 sm OVC001 11/10 A29.61 rmk AO1. Weather conditions reported at marinette at 292255Z 15008KT 1 1/4 sm OVC001 11/10 A29.61 rmk AO1. Several witnesses were in the area hunting at the time of the accident. They reported that visibility was limited on the ground "due to fog" to a horizontal distance of about 600 feet. The aircraft was heard circling farm buildings which contained several dusk to dawn lights. The aircraft was reported to have circled twice when the application of power was heard. Approximately two seconds had elapse "according to witnesses" between when power was applied and the sound of the aircraft impacting trees was heard. One witness arrived at the scene within 3 minutes according to his statements. He found Mrs. Ermis setting beside the wreckage "she had extricated herself from the aircraft wreckage" and aided her to move away from the site of the crash. She was conscious and made several statements to her rescuer regarding the series of events. The other two occupants were thrown from the wreckage and deceased at the scene. The ai rcraft struck several trees, the first tree was about 8 inches in diameter and approximately 28 feet tall. The aircraft struck the tree at the left wing root, causing the right wing to roll the aircraft inverted. The left wing was ripped from the aircraft and it as somewhat intact. The wing was deposited, right of the ground track in a tree, off of the ground about 8 feet in the air, hanging vertically, stuck in the tree. The fuel tank of the left wing was ripped from the wing and found on the ground 15 feet west of the wing. Fuel was strewn into the woods, witnesses stated they detected a very strong smell of gasoline in the air and it enabled them to find the wreckage in the fog. The ground track was on a 310 degree heading, 385 long. The first person on the scene reported a strong fuel smell and evidence of residual fuel on aircraft components. The right fuel tank was split open and the fuel was spewed to the ground. The right wing was ripped off out side of the right wing strut. Several rescue personnel also reported the strong smell of fuel and expressed their concern for fire. As the aircraft traveled through the woods it impacted several more trees shedding the hor izontal stabilizer and elevator mid way on the ground track. It also shed the vertical stabilizer and rudder at about the same time. The nose of the aircraft dug into the earth about 280 feet into the ground track and the left landing gear was ripped from the fuselage. The fuselage was ripped open at the floor section immediately forward of the pilot seat. The pilot's body was approximately 20 feet from the wreckage and the pilot seat was inline with the pilot midway between the fuselage ripped from the floor. The pilot seat belt appeared to not be fastened. No rescue personnel reported having altered the seat belts positions following the accident. The right pilot seat remained intact and Mrs. Ermis stated she unlatched her seat belt following the accident "according to statements taken from a witness." The rear seat passenger was ejected from the fuselage and found wrapped around a clump of birch trees 6 to 8 inches in diameter about 10 feet from the wreckage. It is unclear if her seat belt was being used at the time of the incident. Neither rear belts were found fastened at the time of this investigatin and neither belt had failed. It was reported that sonia had been s leeping in the rear seat. It was not reported by rescue workers that no one had unclasped the belt during the rescue operation. The ELT was also ejected from the aircraft and the antenna was ripped from it. It was on at the time of the investigation. No signal was reported. It was reported by the first rescuer at the scene that Mr. Ermis stated that she had called her son at home on a cellular phone and he stated that it was clear at the air strip. After they had begun the descent, they encountered a "white out". It was reported that she was on the phone with her son to advise the children at home that they were going to green bay when the accident occurred.