Cessna 120 accident near Osceola, Wisconsin, July 17, 2020
On July 17, 2020 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N1926N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Osceola, Wisconsin (L O Simenstad Municipal Arpt airport). It was an instructional 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 pilots did not maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2020 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Osceola, Wisconsin · L O Simenstad Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 No Series, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N1926N · no longer on the register · serial 12170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor, and the pilot receiving instruction, both reported that during tailwheel transition training, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway while performing a wheel-landing. They reported that left rudder was applied to counteract the drift, but the airplane did not respond as expected. The pilot receiving instruction stated that the airplane exited the runway, the left wheel caught the terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Neither pilot reported any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that precluded normal operation. Both pilots reported the wind condition as light and variable.
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 on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,180 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 2,082 as pilot in command; 1,241 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 2,965 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OEO Osceola WI
- Destination: OEO Osceola WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 5,006 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KOEO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 11, 2020. 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 | Student - Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.