Cessna 172N accident near Middleton, Wisconsin, April 21, 1996
On April 21, 1996 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739BN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middleton, Wisconsin (Morey Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve. Factors relating to the accident were: the gusty crosswind condition, the pilot's excessive lowering of flaps, and the encounter with soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1996 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Middleton, Wisconsin · Morey Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739BN · registry record · serial 17270414
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On final approach to runway 12, the pilot selected 30 degrees of flaps and maintained 65 knots indicated airspeed. The pilot used right aileron and opposite rudder on final. He said the airplane required constant adjustments to the flight controls to hold the extended centerline. He stated that his touchdown was a bit hard and left of centerline. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and nosed over after encountering soft mud. The pilot said that on the landing roll, he did not maintain directional control as aggressively as he did on final approach, and that he should have used less than 30 degrees of flaps. A weather station reported winds from 170 degrees at 13 knots with gusts to 18 knots.
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: 89 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,198 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1995; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 6:35 pm
- Destination: C29
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 2,971 ft by 38 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from MSN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.