Amateur-built OSPREY 2 accident near Poygen, Wisconsin, August 4, 1997
On August 4, 1997 at about 6:00 pm local time, a amateur-built OSPREY 2, registered N4442C, was destroyed in an accident near Poygen, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of control in flight for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1997 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Poygen, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built OSPREY 2
- Registration
- N4442C · no longer on the register · serial 72
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
There were no eyewitnesses to the crash. The accident occurred in a rural area with low density of houses. The property owner and individual that called in the accident to emergency personnel said, 'I was inside my house... I could hear an airplane that was loud and sounded like it was either low or close. I could hear the airplane and then the noise stopped and then started again. After that I heard nothing. The next thing that I heard was a thump. Several people reported hearing the airplane prior to the impact. They all reported the engine running intermittently. A post accident examination failed to reveal any powerplant problems. The fuel system was compromised during the accident and it was not possible to ascertain its functionality.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 162 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 30, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,560 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.