Cessna 172M accident near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, April 25, 1999
On April 25, 1999 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N64373, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (Grand Geneva Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Factors contributing to this accident were the variable winds and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1999 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin · Grand Geneva Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N64373 · no longer on the register · serial 172-65201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said that he was going to land at Grand Geneva Airport, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He said that after touching down and rolling out on the runway, he encountered a gust of wind and lost directional control to the left. The airplane went off of the side of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. At the approximate time of the accident, Aviation Routine Weather Reporting (METAR) stations within a 30 mile radius of the accident site, described surface winds as 180 degrees magnetic at 8 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: 52 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,632 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cougar Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 6:20 pm
- Destination: C02
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 23, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from JVL, 30 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.