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20260702009429I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mike And Harriet Wilson ZENAIR CH-750 CRUZER · Neenah, WI · July 2, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 2, 2026 · 15:40 local
Place
Neenah, WI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N751PM
Reported as
Mike And Harriet Wilson Zenair CH-750 Cruzer
Reported engine
VIKING 130
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N751PMRegistered now · Mike And Harriet Wilson ZENAIR CH-750 CRUZERS/N 10060 · Built 2015Airframe modelMike And Harriet Wilson ZENAIR CH-750 CRUZEREngine modelViking 130Reciprocating

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.

Pilots statment was that the flight was planned from manitowish waters airport (D25) to waukegan national airport (kugn) with a departure early afternoon on Thursday 2 July 2026. Departure fuel was 25 gals or approximately 5+ hours of autonomy, and the estimated flight time was 2+45. Weather was VFR for the entire route with a cold front to the west of our route of flight moving to the east.

Roughly an hour and a half later at an altitude of 7500 feet without any other warning signs the engine abruptly decelerated from 4800 to 1340 RPM. The feeder tank indicated full, both batteries and fuel pumps were recycled and left on, the engine did not respond to throttle inputs. I slowed to 60 KIAS while tuning toward appleton international (katw). I was flying over (but could not get eyes on) courtney plummer airport. Brennand airport was also a possible solution but could not be located either. Meanwhile I continued toward appleton and contacted the tower on 119.6.

At 4500’ the engine failed completely and the propeller stopped. I attempted a restart several times without success while the appleton tower and I discussed my predicament. They had me on radar and suggested

Brennand airport, but I still could not locate it. And it was clear that I could not make appleton international. I began a turn towards brennand based on the tower’s heading but gave up and began to look for roads.

I was basically lined up on green meadow rd aiming for the intersection of green meadow and oakridge rd. I asked the appleton tower for the winds which he indicated were westerly at 12KTS, and I opted for oakridge rd on a westerly heading with a touchdown west of green meadow to avoid a telephone line crossing oakridge at that interaction. As I recall I was able to maintain 60 KIAS over the telephone line, but as I

Began the flare I was unable to completely stop the descent and we hit hard in a nose up attitude causing the nose wheel to slam down and fail. The aircraft skidding on the exhaust pipe and drifted left of the road.

Damage to the aircraft from the pictures that were provided was restricted to the nose gear collapse with damage to the propeller and lower engine cowl.

As the FAA filed it

PILOTS STATMENT WAS THAT THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED FROM MANITOWISH WATERS AIRPORT (D25) TO WAUKEGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT (KUGN) WITH A DEPARTURE EARLY AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY 2 JULY 2026. DEPARTURE FUEL WAS 25 GALS OR APPROXIMATELY 5+ HOURS OF AUTONOMY, AND THE ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME WAS 2+45. WEATHER WAS VFR FOR THE ENTIRE ROUTE WITH A COLD FRONT TO THE WEST OF OUR ROUTE OF FLIGHT MOVING TO THE EAST.

ROUGHLY AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7500 FEET WITHOUT ANY OTHER WARNING SIGNS THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY DECELERATED FROM 4800 TO 1340 RPM. THE FEEDER TANK INDICATED FULL, BOTH BATTERIES AND FUEL PUMPS WERE RECYCLED AND LEFT ON, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUTS. I SLOWED TO 60 KIAS WHILE TUNING TOWARD APPLETON INTERNATIONAL (KATW). I WAS FLYING OVER (BUT COULD NOT GET EYES ON) COURTNEY PLUMMER AIRPORT. BRENNAND AIRPORT WAS ALSO A POSSIBLE SOLUTION BUT COULD NOT BE LOCATED EITHER. MEANWHILE I CONTINUED TOWARD APPLETON AND CONTACTED THE TOWER ON 119.6.

AT 4500’ THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED. I ATTEMPTED A RESTART SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS WHILE THE APPLETON TOWER AND I DISCUSSED MY PREDICAMENT. THEY HAD ME ON RADAR AND SUGGESTED

BRENNAND AIRPORT, BUT I STILL COULD NOT LOCATE IT. AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT I COULD NOT MAKE APPLETON INTERNATIONAL. I BEGAN A TURN TOWARDS BRENNAND BASED ON THE TOWER’S HEADING BUT GAVE UP AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR ROADS.

I WAS BASICALLY LINED UP ON GREEN MEADOW RD AIMING FOR THE INTERSECTION OF GREEN MEADOW AND OAKRIDGE RD. I ASKED THE APPLETON TOWER FOR THE WINDS WHICH HE INDICATED WERE WESTERLY AT 12KTS, AND I OPTED FOR OAKRIDGE RD ON A WESTERLY HEADING WITH A TOUCHDOWN WEST OF GREEN MEADOW TO AVOID A TELEPHONE LINE CROSSING OAKRIDGE AT THAT INTERACTION. AS I RECALL I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 60 KIAS OVER THE TELEPHONE LINE, BUT AS I

BEGAN THE FLARE I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY STOP THE DESCENT AND WE HIT HARD IN A NOSE UP ATTITUDE CAUSING THE NOSE WHEEL TO SLAM DOWN AND FAIL. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDING ON THE EXHAUST PIPE AND DRIFTED LEFT OF THE ROAD.

DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PICTURES THAT WERE PROVIDED WAS RESTRICTED TO THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE WITH DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND LOWER ENGINE COWL.