Navion A accident near Coloma, Wisconsin, August 1, 1998
On August 1, 1998 at about 1:22 am local time, a Navion A, registered N8991H, was destroyed in an accident near Coloma, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper altitude, and his failure to maintain adequate visual lookout to see and avoid obstructions. The transmission wire was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1998 · about 1:22 am local time
- Place
- Coloma, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion A
- Registration
- N8991H · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-991
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off from Kankakee, Illinois, en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A witness at, Plainfield, Wisconsin, observed the airplane flying southbound at 200 to 300 feet above the ground. The airplane appeared to be following Interstate 39. When the witness first saw the airplane approaching from the North, he noticed that the landing gear was down. As the airplane continued south, the witness observed the landing gear go up, and then extend again. The witness noticed no unusual sounds with the airplane's engine. Several witnesses traveling in automobiles northbound on Interstate 39, observed the airplane flying southward, following the Interstate, at an altitude of 100 to 175 feet above ground level. One witness said that the airplane looked as if it was landing. Another witness said that he saw the airplane 'hit the power lines, and visual arcing of the power lines, as the plane tumbled to the ground.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
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
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,256 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1997; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IKK Kankakee IL at 11:00 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from ISW, 26 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.