Cessna 172 accident near Oconto, Wisconsin, February 15, 1997
On February 15, 1997 at about 10:30 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N61914, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oconto, Wisconsin (Oconto Municipal airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
the failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment and thus clearance with the snow drifts during takeoff. A factor was the distance the snow drifts extended past the runway edge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1997 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Oconto, Wisconsin · Oconto Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N61914 · no longer on the register · serial 17264882
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that small finger snow drifts were on the runway at the time of the accident. The drifts were approximately one foot deep, and extended from the runway edge to approximately one half the distance to the runway centerline. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll, just before rotation, the right wheel of the airplane impacted one of the drifts, causing the airplane's nose to veer to the right, and the nose wheel to dig in. After hitting the snow drift the airplane flipped over on its back. The pilot reported that he had allowed the airplane to drift over to the right side of the runway during the takeoff roll.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,450 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,194 as pilot in command; 2,239 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OCQ at 10:30 am
- Destination: FWA Fort Wayne IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 3,199 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from GRB, 25 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.