Cessna 182A accident near Springbrook, Wisconsin, July 17, 1998
On July 17, 1998 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N2139G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springbrook, Wisconsin (Springbrook airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper attitude and excessive sink rate during landing. The terrain condition was a contributing factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1998 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Springbrook, Wisconsin · Springbrook · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N2139G · registry record · serial 51439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had flown a normal short field pattern with a final approach configuration at 300' agl of 40 degrees of flap and an airspeed of 60 KIAS. The aircraft touched down firmly in a three point attitude and bounced. Upon the second touch down, the aircraft rolled for approximately 200' - 400' at which point the nose came down without the nose wheel. The nose wheel strut dug into the ground and the aircraft nosed over. Examination of the airstrip by a Federal Aviation Inspector revealed the field conditions to be dry and the height of vegetation to be approximately 2' - 3'. The ground scar from the nose wheel was observed to be more pronounced than that produced by the main wheels. The nose wheel was located 156' left of the initial touchdown point at a relative bearing of 035 degrees. The fractured nose wheel U-bracket exhibited no evidence of fatigue or preexisting crack.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,093 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 5,621 as pilot in command; 1,472 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,708 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 1998; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HYR Hayward WI at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,400 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from HYR, 13 miles away
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.