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20230125000569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 120 · Eagle River, WI · January 25, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 25, 2023 · 10:30 local
Place
Eagle River, WI
Airport
Eagle River Union Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N73034
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA098
Reported as
Cessna 120
Reported engine
Continental C85 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,981 total1,416 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N73034Registered now · Cessna 120S/N 10242 · Built 1946Airframe modelCessna 120Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On January 25, 2023 approximetly 1300 CST the pilot of a 1946 Cessna CE-120 was attempting to take off parallel to runway 13 while federal 1500 snow skis were installed. The pilot was the only soul on board. The weather at the time was scattered at 4500' AGL winds calm 28* f 10 miles vis no precipitation. During the take off sequence and at approximately 35 mph the aircraft hit hard pack snow from snow removal equipment that may have been undetectable due to the new snow cover. The aircraft was launched into the air, but not having sufficient airspeed to maintain flight, the aircraft bounced back to the ground. The left ski penetrated the snow and caused the aircraft to slowly flip over forward. The pilot was uninjured. When the aircraft came to rest upside down the left ski was torn from the landing gear and penetrated the left wing. The pilot stated that the engine power was normal as well as all other parameters. A review of the aircraft records indicated that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition at the time. The pilot did document in the records that he had installed the federal 1500 skis. The pilot also stated he felt very well rested on that morning of the event. The pilot stated that he did not survey the snow cover and snow pack parallel to rwy 13 prior to take off and that he realized he should have and would have detected the inconsistencies due to the new snow and harder packed snow from previous snow removal equipment.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 25, 2023 APPROXIMETLY 1300 CST THE PILOT OF A 1946 CESSNA CE-120 WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 13 WHILE FEDERAL 1500 SNOW SKIS WERE INSTALLED. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY SOUL ON BOARD. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS SCATTERED AT 4500' AGL WINDS CALM 28* F 10 MILES VIS NO PRECIPITATION. DURING THE TAKE OFF SEQUENCE AND AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE AIRCRAFT HIT HARD PACK SNOW FROM SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN UNDETECTABLE DUE TO THE NEW SNOW COVER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR, BUT NOT HAVING SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED BACK TO THE GROUND. THE LEFT SKI PENETRATED THE SNOW AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOWLY FLIP OVER FORWARD. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN THE LEFT SKI WAS TORN FROM THE LANDING GEAR AND PENETRATED THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE POWER WAS NORMAL AS WELL AS ALL OTHER PARAMETERS. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT THE TIME. THE PILOT DID DOCUMENT IN THE RECORDS THAT HE HAD INSTALLED THE FEDERAL 1500 SKIS. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE FELT VERY WELL RESTED ON THAT MORNING OF THE EVENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT SURVEY THE SNOW COVER AND SNOW PACK PARALLEL TO RWY 13 PRIOR TO TAKE OFF AND THAT HE REALIZED HE SHOULD HAVE AND WOULD HAVE DETECTED THE INCONSISTENCIES DUE TO THE NEW SNOW AND HARDER PACKED SNOW FROM PREVIOUS SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN23LA098Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportEagle River, WIThe pilot’s decision to takeoff from an unsuitable surface which resulted in collision with an object.Jan 25, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N73034 · 1

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

Accident 20040221003749ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Merrill, WI(-23) On Saturday, February 21, 2004, at 1655 EST a Cessna CE-120, N73034, struck a rut in the snow with the right ski causing the aircraft to flip over while landing on the Wisconsin river approximately 5.75 miles northwest of Merrill, WI. The private pilot…Feb 21, 2004 · Substantial damage