- Date
- August 5, 2001, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Milton, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N13715Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 3, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010805023409A
- Case key
- 52978
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 unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. Factors were the high vegetation and the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane engine lost power while in cruise flight. The airplane was subsequently landed in a field and nosed over. The pilot stated, "Engine stopped, I believe due to auto fuel use in extreme hot weather. - A slow touchdown was made in a soybean field. The aircraft nosed over in the soft ground and heavy foliage. - Not flying in high [temperatures] with this fuel would have prevented this." The use of automobile fuel was approved. A weather station recorded the temperature and dew point as 30 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius respectively. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 2001, about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N13715, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing and subsequent nose-over, near Milton, Wisconsin. The airplane engine lost engine power while in cruise flight. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated from the Tri-County Regional Airport, Lone Rock, Wisconsin, at 1300 and was en route to the Palmyra Municipal Airport, Palmyra, Wisconsin.
In his written statement, the pilot stated, "Engine stopped, I believe due to auto fuel use in extreme hot weather. - A slow touchdown was made in a soybean field. The aircraft nosed over in the soft ground and heavy foliage. - Not flying in high [temperatures] with this fuel would have prevented this." The use of automobile fuel was approved.
A weather station located about 15 miles from the accident site recorded the weather at 1345 as: Winds 230 degrees at 6 knots; Sky condition 3,300 feet scattered; Visibility 10 statute miles; Temperature 30 degrees Celsius; Dew point 24 degrees Celsius; Altimeter setting 30.14 inches of mercury.
A postaccident examination of the airplane by Federal Aviation Administration officials revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13715
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17262962
- Airframe hours
- 2,987
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Merwyn C. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 2000 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- LNR · Lone Rock, WI
- Destination
- 88C · Palmyra, WI
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 land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- JVL, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.