Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, June 17, 2001
On June 17, 2001 at about 9:14 pm local time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65, registered N46215, was destroyed in an accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadvertent stall by the pilot. The low altitude was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2001 · about 9:14 pm local time
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · Kenosha Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 · all DCO-65s on the register
- Registration
- N46215 · registry record · serial L5048
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was maneuvering at an altitude of 20 feet above power lines while performing aerial observation when it impacted terrain. A witness described the airplane as perfuming a U-turn when it began to tilt and then begin a "quick" nose dive. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 455 hours in all; 345 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,012 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2000; 7.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW Kenosha WI at 8:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:18 pm from ENW, 2 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.