Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER accident near Waupaca, Wisconsin, July 10, 1996
On July 10, 1996 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER, registered N2047S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waupaca, Wisconsin. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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
inadequate maintenance of the throttle cable by maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1996 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waupaca, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER M-18 DROMA
- Registration
- N2047S · no longer on the register · serial 1Z005-09
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a ditch during a forced landing, following a partial loss of engine power. Postflight examination revealed that the rod end on the throttle cable had separated from the cable. Examination of the rod end indicated that installation of the rod end to the throttle cable was inadequate, and the jam nut had not been tightened against the rod end.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 1,700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 1996; 120 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl-Kalisz KAA103029 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bancroft WI at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.