Cessna 340 accident near Merrill, Wisconsin, December 28, 1989
On December 28, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 340, registered N69556, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merrill, Wisconsin (Merrill Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY DURING HIS LANDING ROLL AND AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Merrill, Wisconsin · Merrill Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N69556 · no longer on the register · serial 340-503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK DURING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET AGL DURING HIS INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE WINDSHIELD FASTER THAN THE DEICERS COULD REMOVE IT AND HE WAS FORCED TO MAKE HIS APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY WITH NO FORWARD VISIBILITY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE ON THE 75 FOOT WIDE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED LEFT UNTIL THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR THEN FAILED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,250 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 5,175 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,290 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STP St Paul MN at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.