Cessna 150 accident near East Troy, Wisconsin, December 6, 1998
On December 6, 1998 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N63563, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Troy, Wisconsin (East Troy Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind, and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 1998 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- East Troy, Wisconsin · East Troy Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N63563 · no longer on the register · serial 15077397
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot lost directional control of the airplane while practicing touch and go landings. The airplane traveled off the right side of the runway where it contacted a ditch and nosed over. The student reported that local winds were from 330 degrees at 5 knots gusting to 12 knots.
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: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,649 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 1998; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 57C at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 57C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from MKE, 27 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.