Cessna 560 accident near Woodruff, Wisconsin, January 5, 2006
On January 5, 2006 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 560, registered N391QS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodruff, Wisconsin (Lakeland/Noble F. Lee Memorial airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The Captain's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing which resulted in a stall/mush. Factors were the gusty conditions, the snowbank in the safety area next to the runway, and the runway light that the airplane struck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2006 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Woodruff, Wisconsin · Lakeland/Noble F. Lee Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 560 · all 560s on the register
- Registration
- N391QS · registry record · serial 560-0493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane, on a non-scheduled domestic passenger flight, sustained substantial damage when the right wing contacted runway 36 during landing. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and impacted a snow bank. The operator stated, "The briefed REF [airspeed at the 50-foot point with flaps in the landing position and landing gear extended] speed was 101 knots. Due to weather conditions the Captain flew the approach at 110 knots. The crew encountered light rime icing descending through 4,500 feet until the time they broke out visually at approximately 2,600 feet. The crew utilized the aircraft boots 3 times on the approach to ensure the aircraft was free of contamination. The crew descended on the PAPI [precision approach path indicator] for runway 36 after breaking out visually. At approximately 55 feet the Captain brought the power levers to idle as normal. All seemed normal until approximately 20 to 30 feet when the aircraft felt as if it lost lift and the right wing dropped. The Captain added power and it took both hands to level the wings. The aircraft impacted the runway with the right wingtip hitting first. The aircraft then bounced back in the air and turned slightly to the right. The aircraft then once again settled to the surface off the right side of the runway." The airplane impacted a runway light. The Captain stated that the stick shaker came on and that he added engine power during the landing. The first officer stated that the airplane's airspeed dropped to REF -4 to -5 knots when the airplane was about 20 feet above ground level. The recorded wind was 350 degrees at 14 gusting to 21 knots. A caution in the airplane's operating manual stated, "IN ICING CONDITIONS, A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL ICE WILL FORM ON UNPROTECTED AREAS. THIS IS NORMAL, BUT CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN STALL SPEEDS. WHEN ANY AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL ICE IS VISIBLE, THE STALL SPEEDS IN FIGURE 4-7 OF THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL INCREASE BY 5 KNOTS. THE VREF/VAPP SPEEDS, LANDING DISTANCES AND THE MAXIMUM LANDING WEIGHT PERMITTED BY BRAKE ENERGY MUST BE CORRECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FIGURE 4-32 OF THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL."
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,452 hours in all; 1,792 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 2,150 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,276 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 16,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Chicago/Prospec IL at 1:23 pm
- Destination: ARV Woodruff WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 5,150 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from ARV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.