Socata TBM 700 accident near Madison, Wisconsin, February 10, 2012
On February 10, 2012 at about 2:29 pm local time, a Socata TBM 700, registered N850LM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Madison, Wisconsin (Dane County Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to ensure that ice and snow were removed from the airplane’s surfaces during the preflight inspection, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall after takeoff and loss of control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 2012 · about 2:29 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Wisconsin · Dane County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N850LM · registry record · serial 538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that moderate rime ice had accumulated on the airplane during the inbound flight to the fixed-base operator (FBO). FBO employees reported seeing 1 1/2- to 2-inch thick ice on the wings' unprotected surfaces, the left wing's radome, and the propeller spinner and around the stall indicator when the airplane arrived. The pilot removed some of the ice with his hand and declined an offer to have the airplane deiced or put it in a heated hangar. Subsequently, the airplane was parked outside at the FBO for about 1 hour, during which time it was snowing and sleeting. Witnesses reported that they did not see the pilot check the tail surfaces for ice and that, when the airplane taxied for takeoff, they saw ice on portions of the airplane, including the radome, and snow on the wings' surfaces. The pilot reported that, during takeoff, the left wing dropped and was not generating lift, likely due to the ice on the airplane's surface. The airplane veered left, impacted terrain, and then caught on fire before coming to rest. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any failure that would have resulted in the loss of control.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › (general) › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,364 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,268 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 20, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 423.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2011; 45.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,427 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A66D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 2:28 pm
- Destination: FMY Fort Myers FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 7,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 2:32 pm from MSN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.