- Date
- February 6, 1991, 23:15 local (Feb 7, 1991, 05:15 UTC)
- Place
- Marshfield, WI
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6205JPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910206001979A
- Case key
- 15008
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
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot and his failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush onto snow covered terrain beside the runway. The adverse weather conditions and snow covered terrain were related factors.
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 pilot missed his first (sdf) approach & diverted to another airport, where he missed an ILS approach. En route to a 3rd airport, he passed over his original destination & obtained visual contact with the airport. He stated he flew the length of the runway to check visibility & noticed a cloud near the approach end. He entered a down wind leg for runway 34 & turned base approximately half way down the runway length. During a tight turn from base to final approach, the airplane stalled/settled to the ground. It subsequently touched down on snow covered terrain off the left side of the runway, damaging the landing gear, belly & prop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6205J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7690371
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Services, Inc.
- Departed
- AMW · Ames, IA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MFI · Marshfield Muni, runway 34, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 296 total · 232 in this make and model · 226 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft
- Temperature
- 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUW, 30 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.
Other investigations on N6205J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.