- Date
- January 16, 1990, 22:45 local (Jan 17, 1990, 04:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mosinee, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4532QCessna 402A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900116000919A
- Case key
- 14522
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 disregarding the published decision height and not performing a missed approach.
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 on-demand air taxi airplane collided with trees and terrain during a third attempt at an ILS approach. The airplane crashed approximately two miles beyond the airport on the extended centerline of the landing runway. In an interview the pilot related that on his first approach to the airport he saw the runway and observed vehicles on the taxiway as he performed his missed approach. When he was asked the reason for the second missed approach he said it was because of instrument fluctuations on his course direction indicator. During this period he asked that the lights be set to high intensity because he could not see them. The lights were verified as being set for high intensity. He did not remember anything of the third approach after he passed the outer marker. Snow removal operations were in progress during the period the accident airplane was making approaches to the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4532Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 402A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402A0032
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Freight Runners Express Inc.
- Departed
- MNM · Menominee, MI
- Destination
- MKE · Milwaukee, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CWA · Central Wisconsin, runway 8, 7,645 × 150 ft
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,628 total · 120 in this make and model · 2,428 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Observed at
- CWA
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 N4532Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.