Commander 114-B accident near Lagrange, Wisconsin, May 15, 1998
On May 15, 1998 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Commander 114-B, registered N6059C, was destroyed in an accident near Lagrange, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot not maintaining aircraft control during cruise flight and exceeding the airplane's design stress limits. Factors in this accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in the airplane and the clouds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1998 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lagrange, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Commander 114-B
- Registration
- N6059C · no longer on the register · serial 14649
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane's pilot obtained a weather briefing for the accident flight the night before the flight. He filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with the intention of flying the airplane at 154 knots. The airplane departed on the IFR flight plan and climbed to 6,900 feet above mean sea level (MSL) and maintained that altitude for about four minutes while on a southwesterly heading. Weather information showed cloud bases and tops to be about 6,000 and 10,000 feet MSL respectively in the airplane's immediate vicinity. The altitude began to vary about 200 to 300 feet above and below 6,900 feet MSL. The airplane's ground track changed a number of times during the flight. The aircraft heading changed as much as 90 degrees while altitude changes were occurring. The last FAA air traffic control radar contact with the airplane showed the altitude to be 4,500 feet MSL and the heading to be opposite of its original heading. Ground witnesses reported hearing the airplane's engine accelerating and decelerating followed by a "... ka-boom..." sound. One said he saw the airplane coming out of the clouds nose first and pointing at the ground. Another said he saw the airplane come out of the clouds tumbling without its empennage. The on-scene examination revealed no pre-existing anomalies with the airframe. Before flying the accident airplane as pilot-in-command, the pilot received 11.6 hours of flight training in the aircraft. His total time in the airplane was 23.2 hours according to his logbook. The pilot's logbook showed he had 18.5 hours of actual instrument flight time and 41.4 hours of simulated instrument time. His logbook showed he had flown .6 hours of simulated instruments in the accident airplane before the accident flight.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 341 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 99 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 80 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,260 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UES Waukesha WI at 1:50 pm
- Destination: CMH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 153°F (67°C), dew point 142°F (61°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from MKE, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.