Snow 600-S2C accident near Bancroft, Wisconsin, May 25, 1994
On May 25, 1994 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Snow 600-S2C, registered N1659S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bancroft, Wisconsin (Bancroft East Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilots failure to select carburetor heat during an extended descent, which resulted in loss of engine power. Factors were carburetor icing conditions and the presence of a ditch at the forced landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1994 · about 5:00 pm local time · cases in 1994
- Place
- Bancroft, Wisconsin · Bancroft East Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Snow 600-S2C · all 600-S2Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1659S · registry record · serial 12198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING FROM A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT, AND ENTERED A LONG GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT. THE CONDITIONS WERE WITHIN THE AREA OF FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR CARBURETOR ICING AT GLIDE POWER ACCORDING TO THE TRANSPORT CANADA CARBURETOR ICING CHART. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED, THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A DITCH. NO PRE-ACCIDENT MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE DISCOVERED.
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
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Farmers Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 24 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from MSN, 25 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1659S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Snow 600 7 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Snow 19 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R-985 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 225 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,161 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI94LA176.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.