Cessna 152 accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin, December 27, 2000
On December 27, 2000 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757DX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin. 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 unsuitable terrain for landing selected by the student pilot, the inadequate initial training by the flight instructor, and the flight instructor's decision to send the student pilot on a solo flight in known adverse weather conditions. Factors to the accident were the snow showers, the student pilot becoming lost, the student pilot not using the pitot heat, the snow covered terrain, the precautionary landing performed by the student pilot, and the student pilot's lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 2000 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sturtevant, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757DX · no longer on the register · serial 15279667
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over during a precautionary landing to a snow covered field. The student-pilot said that the flight had begun as a dual instructional flight and then a solo flight. The pilot said that the weather during the dual instructional flight was overcast with light snow. The pilot said that, during the solo flight, the snowfall was getting heavier and that he decided to return to the airport. He said, "Before I made the initial turn to base I noticed my airspeed was only 50 KIAS. This was after I put carb heat on, throttle back to 1500 RPM, nose up to 60 KIAS and flaps to 10 [degrees]. Concerned that my airspeed was not high enough to make the left hand turn, I decided to make a right hand turn to circle around again and increase my airspeed. I kept trying to increase the airspeed with no success, by lowering the nose. I ended up by I-94 and Hwy 11. On my route there I tried radioing the airport but could not hear the instructor. Once I could he said to land at [an airport], which I didn't know where it was. All this time the airspeed kept dropping and I was concerned about a stall. The airspeed became so low (30-35 KIAS) I decided to land in a field.... I believe this was a hayfield and was snow covered [approximately] 10-14 inches. ... When the wheels touched ground it went for a short distance and flipped over nose first." The pilot said that after the accident, his instructor came to the accident site and told him that the pitot tube was, "plugged up." The pilot said that two days after the accident his flight instructor asked him to complete his pre-solo written examination. The student-pilot provided a copy of the cover page for the written examination dated "1/2/01". A weather report for a reporting station located about 7 miles and 060 degrees from the accident site was reporting, at 0753; winds 290 degrees at 07 knots; visibility 4 statute miles; light snow; ceiling 2600 feet overcast; altimeter setting 30.28 inches of Mercury. A weather report for a reporting station located about 7 miles and 170 degrees from the accident site was reporting, at 0810; winds 310 degrees at 08 knots; visibility 2 statute miles; light snow; scattered clouds at 2200 feet; ceiling 2600 feet overcast; altimeter setting 30.27 inches of Mercury.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAC Racine WI at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from RAC, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.