Amateur-built GLASAIR RG accident near Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, August 1, 1986
On August 1, 1986 at about 9:15 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR RG, registered N137JM, was destroyed in an accident near Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin (Fond Du Lac County airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1986 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin · Fond Du Lac County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR RG
- Registration
- N137JM · registry record · serial 137
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE THAT WAS CAUSED BY A BROKEN WIRE AT AN ALTERNATOR TERMINAL. UPON EXTENSION OF THE HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED LANDING GEAR A SAFE GEAR DOWN INDICATION WAS NOT OBTAINED. ACTIVATION OF THE CO2 OPERATED EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM FAILED TO PROVIDE A SAFE GEAR DOWN INDICATION. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANY FACILITY TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF THE LANDING GEAR BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT DUG INTO THE SOFT TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLIPPED INVERTED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,784 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 1,360 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 434 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1986; 25 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from OSH, 13 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 CHI86FA193.