Piper J5A accident near Wausau, Wisconsin, March 15, 1999
On March 15, 1999 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper J5A, registered N40888, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wausau, Wisconsin. 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the lack of suitable terrain for landing. A factor to the accident was the aircraft owner not performing necessary maintenance to the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1999 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Wausau, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J5A · all J5As on the register
- Registration
- N40888 · registry record · serial 5-1198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The pilot, after noticing a drop in rpm, applied carburetor heat and the engine quit. The airplane nosed over during a forced landing in a snow-covered field. The aircraft owner stated, in a telephone conversation, he had flown the airplane the previous day when the engine quit after a normal landing. After exiting the plane he noticed that there was fuel running out of the carburetor and that tapping on the carburetor stopped the fuel from running. The owner contacted a mechanic, who was not an aircraft mechanic, and was told that the problem was from dirt in the carburetor. The mechanic advised running the engine and then shutting off the fuel to purge the dirt from the carburetor. On the day of the accident, the pilot and the aircraft owner started the engine and shut off the fuel allowing the engine to quit. The pilot stated that the owner said that this would fix the problem. The fuel system was inspected and no anomalies were found. The main fuel tank contained between six and seven gallons of fuel. A post accident inspection of the carburetor revealed no anomalies that could be associated with the reported problem of float sticking.
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: 160 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 1998; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A75-9C8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUW at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from AUW
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.
Other NTSB records under N40888 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.