Cessna 172B N6941X

Summary

On 28 December 2016 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172B registered N6941X was involved in an accident near Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 December 2016 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Sauk-Prairie Airport (91C)

Coordinates

43.2978, -89.7558

Aircraft

Cessna 172B

Registration

N6941X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Prairie Du Sac → Prairie Du Sac

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA090

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to taxi the airplane from the roadway and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from signs and a fence after a successful emergency landing following a total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a local flight. He reported that, during the flight, the engine started to run roughly. He decided to return to the airport for a precautionary landing. About 4 miles from the airport and while lined up for landing, the pilot increased the engine throttle with no response; the airplane lost total power. He decided to land the airplane on a roadway about 1 mile from the airport. After landing on the roadway and coming to a complete stop, the pilot restarted the engine and attempted to taxi off the roadway. While he was taxiing the airplane, it struck three roadway signs and a fence, which resulted in structural damage to the left wing. After the airplane was recovered, small amounts of water were present in the fuel from both wing sumps and the gascolator. The engine was started, ran normally, and both magnetos checked within normal limits. The loss of engine power could have resulted from water in the fuel but the definitive reason could not be determined. Although the pilot landed the airplane successfully on the roadway after having engine power problems, his decision to taxi the airplane from the roadway and his failure to avoid the roadway signs and fence resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.    

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.