- Date
- August 11, 1996, 19:22 local (Aug 12, 1996, 00:22 UTC)
- Place
- Fond Du Lac, WI
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N31774Schuler T Bird II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960811022169A
- Case key
- 10352
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
loss of engine power because of improperly insulated ignition wiring. Factors relating to the accident were improper maintenance; and high obstructions in the emergency landing area, which the pilot had to avoid, resulting in a collision with terrain.
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 student pilot reported that the engine lost power during the initial takeoff climb. Inspection of the accident site revealed that the airplane cleared a row of 30 foot tall trees at the end of the airstrip before impacting terrain about 10 feet beyond the trees. The inspection of the airplane revealed that a soldered ignition wire was not properly insulated. No other discrepancy was noted.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 1996, at 1922 central daylight time, a Schuler T Bird II, N31774, operated by a student pilot collided with the terrain following a reported loss of engine power during takeoff. The takeoff was being conducted from a farm field in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported that during the initial takeoff climb a total loss of engine power occurred. The accident site and wreckage were inspected by a Federal Aviation Administration Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) from the Milwaukee Flight Standards District Office. The PMI reported that the only problem he saw with the engine was a soldered ignition wire which was not properly insulated.
The PMI stated that there were trees which were approximately 30 feet tall located at the end of the grass strip which was used for takeoff. He stated the airplane cleared the trees and impacted the terrain approximately 10 feet away from the treeline.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31774
- Reported as
- Schuler T Bird II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 51341
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Quackenboss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- runway 36, 800 × 36 ft, grass/turf
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 30 in this make and model · 63 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH, 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.