Cessna 172B accident near Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, December 28, 2016
On December 28, 2016 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 172B, registered N6941X, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin (Sauk-Prairie Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to taxi the airplane from the roadway and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from signs and a fence after a successful emergency landing following a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 2016 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin · Sauk-Prairie Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B B, built 1960 · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6941X · no longer on the register · serial 17247841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a local flight. He reported that, during the flight, the engine started to run roughly. He decided to return to the airport for a precautionary landing. About 4 miles from the airport and while lined up for landing, the pilot increased the engine throttle with no response; the airplane lost total power. He decided to land the airplane on a roadway about 1 mile from the airport. After landing on the roadway and coming to a complete stop, the pilot restarted the engine and attempted to taxi off the roadway. While he was taxiing the airplane, it struck three roadway signs and a fence, which resulted in structural damage to the left wing. After the airplane was recovered, small amounts of water were present in the fuel from both wing sumps and the gascolator. The engine was started, ran normally, and both magnetos checked within normal limits. The loss of engine power could have resulted from water in the fuel but the definitive reason could not be determined. Although the pilot landed the airplane successfully on the roadway after having engine power problems, his decision to taxi the airplane from the roadway and his failure to avoid the roadway signs and fence resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
- Loss of control on ground during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Towing and taxiing › Taxiing › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid type
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,401 hours in all; 3,401 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 3,401 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,357 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 1,740 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 91C Prairie Du Sac WI at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 91C Prairie Du Sac WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from MSN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 19, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record - FAA Inspector Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.