Cessna 172M accident near West Bend, Wisconsin, March 27, 1989
On March 27, 1989 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9578V, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Bend, Wisconsin (West Bend Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE CABLE. UNSUITABLE (SOFT) TERRAIN AND TRANSMISSION WIRES IN THE LANDING AREA WERE CONSIDERED TO BE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1989 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- West Bend, Wisconsin · West Bend Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9578V · no longer on the register · serial 17264380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, THE PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO DECREASE HIS RATE OF DESCENT; HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER, THOUGH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. HE SELECTED THE DRYEST AVAILABLE FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AFTER CROSSING OVER AN OBSTRUCTION (POWER LINE), HE LANDED. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SOFT TERRAIN & STARTED TO NOSE OVER AS IT WAS CROSSING UNDER A SECOND POWER LINE. BEFORE NOSING OVER, ITS TAIL SNAGGED ON THE SECOND POWER LINE & THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE. AN EXAM OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD PARTIALLY FAILED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THROTTLE MOVEMENT WOULD NOT OPERATE THE THROTTLE ARM.
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
- Flight time: 93 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 57 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,272 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1988; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gran Aire, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MWC Milwaukee WI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ETB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:11 am from MWC, 45 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.