Cessna 337 accident near Pittsville, Wisconsin, April 8, 2009
On April 8, 2009 at about 7:39 pm local time, a Cessna 337, registered N2489S, was involved in an accident during maneuvering near Pittsville, Wisconsin. It was a firefighting flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2009 · about 7:39 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsville, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337 C · all 337s on the register
- Registration
- N2489S · no longer on the register · serial 337-0789
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Firefighting flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The public-use airplane was being operated as a single-pilot aerial observation aircraft when it was responding to a ground fire. The fire originated from a garbage fire at a house that was adjacent to a wooded area. The wooded area was at the northern edge of a fallow agricultural field that the airplane was seen initially flying over on a southerly heading at an altitude of about 100 feet above the trees. The airplane then turned towards a northerly heading and descended to an altitude of about 35 feet above the field. The airplane engine noise then increased which was then followed by a wing drop consistent with an aerodynamic stall as it approached the tree line. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,681 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 3,104 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,530 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2008
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: State Of Wisconsin/Dnr
The flight
- Departed from: DAF Necedah WI at 7:11 pm
- Destination: Pittsville WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.65 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from ISW, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.