Cessna 402B accident near Appleton, Wisconsin, January 17, 1990
On January 17, 1990 at about 2:38 am local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N87163, was destroyed in an accident near Appleton, Wisconsin (Outagamie County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS RESULTING IN A WINDSHEAR ENCOUNTER WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY. THE EXISTING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1990 · about 2:38 am local time
- Place
- Appleton, Wisconsin · Outagamie County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N87163 · no longer on the register · serial 402B1005
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED NUMEROUS WEATHER BRIEFINGS/UPDATES BEFORE TAKEOFF, WHICH INCLUDED TWO PILOT REPORTS OF WINDSHEAR BY AIRCRAFT ON THE APPROACH INTO APPLETON. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1E WAS TRANSMITTED BY THE RADAR CONTROLLER ON THE SAME FREQUENCY HE WAS WORKING N87163. THIS SIGMET CALLED FOR EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. ABOUT 10 MIN LATER, WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APPROACH INTO APPLETON, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN HEADING DEVIATIONS BECAUSE OF WEATHER. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED 1/2 MI FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS WHOSE RESIDENCE IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE OM AND MM FOR THE ILS APPROACH REPORTED A 'HUGE DOWNPOUR' WITH 'VERY STRONG WINDS' AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ALL POWER CONTROLS FOR BOTH ENGINES WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, AND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR MOUNTING TRUNNIONS WERE DISPLACED UPWARD INTO THE WING FUEL TANKS.
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: 1,920 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-EB8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CWA Mosinee WI at 2:06 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:40 am from ATW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.