- Date
- January 25, 2023, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle River, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N73034Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- MKE FSDO / FAA
- FAA report
- 20230125000569A
- Case key
- 106663
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to takeoff from an unsuitable surface which resulted in collision with an object.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane reached an airspeed of about 35 mph and “hit an ice / snow berm”. The airplane became airborne, stalled, and impacted the terrain. The ski dug into the snow and the airplane flipped over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73034
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10242
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 6,185
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 97 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- KEGV · Eagle River Union Airport, runway 13, 1,600 × 60 ft, snow
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- March 4, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,981 total · 1,416 in this make and model · 1,889 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KEGV, 23 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KEGV 251855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC090 M01/M06 A2973 RMK AO2 T10061058
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N73034 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.