Cessna L-19 accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, January 23, 1986
On January 23, 1986 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Cessna L-19, registered N48149, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenosha, 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 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 1986 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna L-19 · all L-19s on the register
- Registration
- N48149 · no longer on the register · serial 11082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DRAINED THE FUEL TANKS UNTIL NO EVIDENCE OF WATER WAS PRESENT. ALCOHOL & 100LL WAS ADDED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE RUNWAY WAS OVER FLOWN & A COLLISION WITH A FENCE INSUED DURING THE FORCED LANDING. WATER WAS FOUND IN FUEL LINES & THE CARBURETOR. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 632 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 560 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.