- Date
- February 7, 1989, 18:20 local (Feb 8, 1989, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Mosinee, WI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6525VCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890207001809A
- Case key
- 14244
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
Spatial disorientation of the pilot as a result of initiating the flight into known adverse weather. Factors related to the accident were: dark night, snow, and low ceilings.
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
Non instrument rated pilot got a full weather brief from flight service station. Weather briefer advised pilot that VFR flight was not recommended, and gave him hazardous weather advisories in effect for the area at the time. Aircraft crashed in densely wooded area approximately 10 miles south of departure point. Airport manager described the conditions at the time of departure as 'dark, windy, and snowing...'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6525V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0751
- Airframe hours
- 1,828
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Andrew & Mary Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Andrew & Mary Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 30, 1988 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- AUW · Wausau, WI
- Destination
- 1C5 · Plainfield, IL
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 249 total · 33 in this make and model · 179 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUW, 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.