Cessna 172M accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 1, 1986
On March 1, 1986 at about 9:16 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80167, was destroyed in an accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. 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
- March 1, 1986 · about 9:16 pm local time
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80167 · no longer on the register · serial 17266415
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 180 LBS OVER MAX RECOMMENDED TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT AND USED ALMOST ALL OF A 3560 FOOT RUNWAY TO TAKE OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER LIFTOFF THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT TURN LEFT AND BEGAN TO TURN RIGHT ON ITS OWN. HE CLIMBED TO APPROX 150 FEET AND BEGAN TO SETTLE BACK TOWARD THE GROUND IN THIS CONTINUOUS RIGHT TURN. HE THEN STRUCK A UTILITY POLE THEN THE GROUND. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN INFLIGHT ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT WAS FLYING ON AN EXPIRED MEDICAL CERTIFICATION AND DID NOT HAVE A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW WITHIN THE LAST 24 MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION SINCE 1981.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1983; 124 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:24 pm from MKE, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.