Cessna 195 accident near Manitowoc, Wisconsin, February 19, 2004
On February 19, 2004 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Cessna 195, registered N4351V, suffered minor damage in an accident near Manitowoc, Wisconsin (Manitowoc County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The Cessna 195 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the Cessna 177RG while taxiing to the ramp after landing. A contributing factor was the restricted forward visibility (blind spot) of the Cessna 195 due to the engine cowling. An additional factor was the Cessna 177RG positioned at the runway hold short line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2004 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Manitowoc, Wisconsin · Manitowoc County · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N4351V · registry record · serial 7260
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Cessna 195 sustained minor damage and a Cessna 177RG sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision. The Cessna 195 had landed and was taxiing to the ramp when the accident occurred. The Cessna 177RG was parked near a taxiway intersection conducting an engine run-up when it was hit by the Cessna 195. The Cessna 195 pilot stated that he was making "small" S-turns as he taxied in an effort to clear a blind spot forward and to the right of his tail wheeled aircraft. The Cessna 195 pilot reported that he was preparing to make a "sweeping left turn" at the taxiway intersection when his aircraft struck the Cessna 177RG. The flight instructor applicant and Federal Aviation Administration inspector in the Cessna 177RG reported that when they realized a collision was imminent, they applied full power in an attempt to move the aircraft out of the way. However, as their airplane left the taxiway pavement the nose landing gear became stuck in a snow bank. The Cessna 195's propeller subsequently struck the Cessna 177RG's right wing, tearing off approximately three feet of the wing.
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: 1,285 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 11, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,819.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2003; 19.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R 755-A2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTW Manitowoc WI at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,343 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from MTW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N4351V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.