Cessna 172 accident near Camp Lake, Wisconsin, March 12, 1996
On March 12, 1996 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N2966U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Camp Lake, Wisconsin (Camp Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from trees that were located beside the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1996 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Camp Lake, Wisconsin · Camp Lake
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2966U · no longer on the register · serial 17250566
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that before landing, he was inspecting the grass runway by over-flying the runway from north to south. The aircraft hit tree branches 69 feet east of the runway edge. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine. The runway clear area at Camp River Airport did not meet the recommendations of Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5300-13 chg 4. The airplane's left wing was crushed along the leading edge, and the left wing strut had buckled. The right landing gear mount was broken loose from the fuselage, and the fuselage was crushed aft of the firewall.
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: 214 hours in all; 214 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 145 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW Kenosha WI at 5:15 pm
- Destination: 49C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,250 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from ENW, 10 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.