# NTSB CHI06CA052: Cessna 152, N6085M, Pelican Lake, WI, December 26, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 26, 2005, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Pelican Lake, WI - Coordinates: 45.631111, -89.467498 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6311&lon=-89.4675&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 28, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Milwaukee, WI, FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 63005 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI06CA052 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63005/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06CA052 ## Probable cause The pilot selecting an unsuitable landing area. Factors were the snow and ice covered lake. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - terrain condition - icy (contributing factor) - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane, piloted by a student pilot on a solo cross country instructional flight, sustained substantial damage on impact with the snow and ice on a frozen lake. The pilot stated, "While in route I made the decision to land on Pelican Lake located about 20 mi south of Rhinelander WI. ... Upon main gear touching down the gear was restricted and pulled the nose of the aircraft to the ground (ice) slid about 25 yards then settled back onto main gear." The pilot's safety recommendation stated, "This accident could have been prevented if I would have just stuck to my flight plan and [federal aviation regulations]. I realize that I made a very bad decision to land on the lake and have learned greatly from it." ## Factual narrative On December 26, 2005, about 1230 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N6085M, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with the snow and ice on Pelican Lake, Wisconsin. The solo cross country instructional flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from the Waukesha County Airport, near Waukesha, Wisconsin, and was en route to the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, at the time of the accident. The pilot's accident report, in part, stated: On the 26th day of December at 1230 AM central time I was on a solo cross country flight from Waukesha to Rhinelander WI. While in route I made the decision to land on Pelican Lake located about 20 mi south of Rhinelander WI. I made a few low passes over the lake to observe the surface conditions. I could see that there was only a few inches of snow on the lake and surface seemed to be flat (no snow drifting or ice heaves) so I set myself up for a soft field landing configuration. Upon main gear touching down the gear was restricted and pulled the nose of the aircraft to the ground (ice) slid about 25 yards then settled back onto main gear. The pilot's safety recommendation, in part, stated: This accident could have been prevented if I would have just stuck to my flight plan and [federal aviation regulations]. I realize that I made a very bad decision to land on the lake and have learned greatly from it. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6085M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6085M), registered now, S/N 15284616, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 152 - Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15284616 - Airframe hours: 8930 - Engines: Lycoming O-235-L2C 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Spring City Aviation, doing business as Spring City Aviation - Registered owner: Safe Air Corp. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2005 - Departed: UES, WAUKESHA, WI - Destination: RHI, RHINELANDER, WI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 46 total, 42 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,700 ft overcast - Temperature: 32 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 29.78 inHg - Observed at: RHI ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20051226032299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051226032299A), Dec 26, 2005: Cessna 152, Rhinelander, WI, Substantial damage. (-23) Student pilot on cross-country flight elected to land on pelican lake, near rhilander, WI. Upon landing on frozen/crusted snow, aircraft "wheel-barrowed"… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.