Cessna 172 accident near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, November 5, 2025
On November 5, 2025, a 1975 Cessna 172, registered N9490H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Grantsburg, Wisconsin (Grantsburg Muni airport). It was a personal 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 collision with a white-tail deer during the landing in dark night visual conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2025
- Place
- Grantsburg, Wisconsin · Grantsburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1975 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9490H · registry record · serial 17266177
- 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 the airplane was on final approach to the runway in dark night visual conditions with no moon illumination present. She observed that the airport lighting seemed dim and the area surrounding the runway was not illuminated. When she initiated the landing flare, she observed a white-tailed deer running across the runway from the right to the left. She initiated a go-around; however, the deer impacted the right horizontal stabilizer. During the go-around, she noticed a reduced climb performance and a right yaw, however she was able to safely control the airplane. She decided to divert to a different airport due to the possibility of additional deer being present near the runway or perhaps a dead deer on the runway. The pilot contacted air traffic control and landed at a nearby airport without further incident. The right horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The current airport entry in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory states in the remarks section, “deer & waterfowl on and invof arpt.” According to the University of Wisconsin, white-tail deer prefer an open forest environment consisting of meadows, woodland clearings and farmland and additionally prefer low light to forage, mainly at sunrise and sunset. The accident occurred about 1 hour and 38 minutes after sunset. The publicly owned airport, which is located next to a 30,000-acre state wildlife area, does not have fencing installed to exclude deer and other mammals, nor is it required to. The FAA has published CertAlert 16-03 Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing and states in part: Proper fencing is the best way of keeping deer and coyotes off aircraft movement areas. The FAA recommends a 10-foot fence with 3-strand barbed wire outriggers.
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
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 758 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 562 as pilot in command; 262 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 12, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,233 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 2024; 177 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-320-E2D (piston); 2,410 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELO Ely MN at 10:43 pm
- Destination: GTG Grantsburg MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12/3, 2,999 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KRZN, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRZN 050015Z AUTO 11003KT 10SM OVC060 12/M04 A2988 RMK AO2 T01211036
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Overall view of the right side of the airplane
Photograph 2 – View of the top of the right side horizontal stabilizer
Photograph 3 – View of the bottom of the right side horizontal stabilizerThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Airport/facility Directory - Grantsburg Municipal Airport (Gtg) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Grantsburg Municipal Airport (Gtg) - Airport Fencing Information | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Certalert 16-03 - Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin - White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Information | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Crex Meadows Wildlife Area Map | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB Meteorological Information | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN26LA035.