Cessna 172L N3599F

Summary

On 12 August 2004 at about 20:45 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N3599F was involved in an accident near Webster, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 2004 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Webster, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

45.9675, -92.3328

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N3599F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Webster → Duluth

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04FA223

1 person died.

The high velocity impact with terrain for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed during a high velocity impact with terrain. The pilot was cruising at 5,500 feet when he reported a "severe vibration" and that he was diverting to a nearby airport. Aircraft radar track data was collected from radar facilities along the route of flight. The plotted data showed that the accident airplane departed the Minneapolis metropolitan area to the northeast and continued on a northerly heading toward Duluth, Minnesota. The aircraft's ground speed averaged about 100 knots while on the northerly heading. A plot of the radar data indicated that the airplane made a course reversal to a southerly heading just prior to the accident. The last radar return was approximately 0.8 nm northeast of the accident site. During the final 38 seconds of aircraft radar track data, the airplane's calculated ground speed increased from 130 knots to 218 knots while established on the southerly heading. The aircraft's maximum structural cruising speed was 121 knots and the never exceed speed was 151 knots. The current winds aloft forecast indicated that the winds at 3,000 and 6,000 feet were out of the north, between 4 and 12 knots. The wreckage was located in an open area about 950 feet long and 400 feet wide. The initial impact crater was 11 feet long, 7 feet wide and 3 feet deep. A 38 foot long ground depression ran perpendicular to the crater. The ground depression was similar in length to the accident airplane's wingspan. All primary airframe structural components, flight control surfaces, engine components, and propeller blades were located within the debris field. Fragmented wreckage was found up to 190 feet from the initial impact crater. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, flight control systems, engine, or propeller that could be associated with a pre-impact malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.