Cessna 172N accident near Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, February 12, 2021
On February 12, 2021 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 172N, registered N3477E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin (Sauk-Prairie airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in the collision with a snowbank. Contributing to the accident was the compacted snow conditions on the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2021 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin · Sauk-Prairie · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1978 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3477E · registry record · serial 17271563
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered compacted snow on the runway surface, and the airplane slid to the left. The pilot, a solo student, reduced the engine throttle and applied right rudder; however, the airplane continued to the left. The left main landing gear hit a snowbank on the side of the runway, the airplane spun, and the right wing hit the snowbank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A Notice to Airman for the airport reported the field conditions as 100% compacted snow with the conditions not monitored. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 20.7 in the last 90 days; 6.1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,163.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 24, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: C29 Middleton WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18/3, 2,936 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.46 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KLNR, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLNR 122056Z AUTO 29009KT 10SM CLR M16/M22 A3046 RMK AO2 SLP330 T11561222 56009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3477E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.