Cessna 152 accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin, February 3, 2005
On February 3, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68714, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin (Sylvania airport). 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 pilot's failure to identify the electrical system failure and to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing approach. Factors associated with the accident were the electrical system failure, the snow covered terrain, and the 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
- February 3, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sturtevant, Wisconsin · Sylvania · 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
- N68714 · registry record · serial 15285332
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a nose gear collapse during a precautionary landing in a corn field. The student pilot stated that her radios became inoperative during the second leg of the solo cross country flight. She elected to bypass the airport she intended on landing at to return to her home airport. During the flight to her home airport, the pilot noticed that the fuel gauges were indicating empty. She stated the airplane was topped off at her last departure point so she should have had plenty of fuel, but she thought the airplane was possibly leaking fuel so she decided to land at a nearby airport. The pilot stated she lowered the flaps while in the traffic pattern, but she doesn't remember the flaps extending. She stated that as she tried to turn onto final approach, the airplane would not bank and the controls felt sluggish. The pilot stated she knew she was not going to make it to the runway so she located a field in which to land. The pilot stated she reduced the power to idle at which time the stall warning sounded so she lowered the nose of the airplane. She stated the field had a slight rise so she held the airplane off the ground as long as possible. The nose gear contacted snow during the landing and the nose gear collapsed. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed corrosion was present at the wiring connectors on the master switch. The fuel gauges, radios, and flaps, are electrically actuated components. The flight controls were inspected and control continuity was established.
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: 101 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,099.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 2005; 14.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JVL Janesville WI at 6:55 pm
- Destination: UGN Waukegan IL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from RAC, 10 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.
Other NTSB records under N68714 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.