Cessna 402A accident near Menominee, Michigan, December 27, 1996
On December 27, 1996 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 402A, registered N337PL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Menominee, Michigan (Menominee-Marinette Cnty airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ice restricting normal brake system, normal braking not possible for the pilot and the pilot's poor in-flight planning. A factor was the pilot not performing a flight to an alternate destination airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 1996 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Menominee, Michigan · Menominee-Marinette Cnty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402A · all 402As on the register
- Registration
- N337PL · registry record · serial 402A0039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After conducting three (VFR) approaches to one runway the pilot landed on another runway. During the landing roll the airplane swerved to the left and exited the runway. The pilot said that the brakes had frozen over during the previous approaches, and when the airplane touched down the right brake broke loose and the airplane turned left. He said that he should have made a decision to fly to another airport prior to the last landing attempt.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,518 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 219 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 3,454 as pilot in command; 2,143 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GRB Green Bay WI at 4:00 pm
- Destination: MNM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KMN
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.