Cessna 150J accident near Denmark, Wisconsin, January 12, 2012
On January 12, 2012 at about 4:45 am local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60676, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Denmark, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control due to his alcohol impairment. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly at night with a known interior lighting malfunction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2012 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Denmark, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60676 · no longer on the register · serial 15070493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the flight before the accident flight, the airplane’s cockpit lighting failed and the pilot landed at an alternate airport. Later, a witness saw the pilot walking back to the airport with a 12-pack of beer, and said that the pilot explained that he was going to drink beer and sleep until morning in the airplane. However, the pilot fueled the airplane at a self-service fuel pump and departed for his home airport later that night. Witnesses near the accident site reported seeing an airplane maneuvering at a low altitude with the exterior lights turning on and off. During postaccident interviews, the pilot reported that he did not have interior lighting and was attempting to restore the airplane’s interior lighting by turning the exterior lighting on and off. He also stated that he was having difficulty maintaining control of the airplane. The pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane, which entered an unusual attitude and was not recovered before colliding with trees. Subsequent testing revealed that the pilot had a blood alcohol level of 0.138 g/100 ml. The legal limit for operating an airplane is 0.04 g/100 ml. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the bulb for the interior lighting had burned out.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Lighting system › Flight compartment lighting › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,767 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,252 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2011; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMTW Manitowoc WI at 2:45 am
- Destination: KETB West Bend WI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from GRB
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.