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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2001 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 2001
- 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N13715 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D 259 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tri-County Regional · departed from
- Palmyra Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI01LA265.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.