Cessna 172M accident near Milton, Wisconsin, August 5, 2001
On August 5, 2001 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13715, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milton, Wisconsin. It was a personal 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 unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. Factors were the high vegetation and the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2001 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Milton, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13715 · registry record · serial 17262962
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane engine lost power while in cruise flight. The airplane was subsequently landed in a field and nosed over. The pilot stated, "Engine stopped, I believe due to auto fuel use in extreme hot weather. - A slow touchdown was made in a soybean field. The aircraft nosed over in the soft ground and heavy foliage. - Not flying in high [temperatures] with this fuel would have prevented this." The use of automobile fuel was approved. A weather station recorded the temperature and dew point as 30 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius respectively. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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: 3,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,987 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2000; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNR Lone Rock WI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 88C Palmyra WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from JVL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 CHI01LA265.