- Date
- September 19, 2015, 23:00 local (Sep 20, 2015, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Shiocton, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20079Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 92095
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's decision to continue to land at an unlighted airstrip, at night, after the landing light failed on approach, which resulted in a bounced landing, runway excursion, and collision with terrain.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was making an approach to landing at night to an unlit grass airstrip. According to the pilot, the landing light went out about 100 feet above the ground, and he lost depth perception. The pilot continued the landing and bounced once. The airplane veered off the runway to the right into a cornfield, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to rudder, vertical stabilizer, and left wing. Other than the landing light, the pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was making an approach to landing at night to an unlit grass airstrip. According to the pilot, the landing light went out about 100 feet above the ground, and he lost depth perception. The pilot continued the landing and bounced once. The airplane veered off the runway to the right into a cornfield, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to rudder, vertical stabilizer, and left wing. Other than the landing light, the pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20079
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260990
- Built
- 1972
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Travis Lesatz
- Registered owner
- Marcks Aircraft LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FCM · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- W34 · Shiocton, WI
- Airport
- W34 · Shiocton Airport, runway 18, 2,340 × 110 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 7, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 138 in this make and model · 114 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KCLI, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.