Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172K near Amery, WI — 2026-01-16

Investigation ongoingCEN26LA094
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Date
2026-01-16
Location
Amery, WI, USA
Airport
AHH
Aircraft
CESSNA 172K
Registration
N79118
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On January 16, 2026, about 1130 central standard time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N79118, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Amery, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 maintenance test flight. The pilot reported that during a post-maintenance test flight, he heard and felt a bang followed by violent shaking of the airframe with partial loss of engine power. The airplane was circling over Amery Municipal Airport, Amery, Wisconsin, and subsequently the pilot chose to reenter the traffic pattern for runway 36. As the airplane turned onto the base leg for runway 36, total engine power was lost. The pilot realized he would not make the runway and elected to perform a forced off-field landing in a snow-covered field. During the rollout in the snow, the airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, and both wings. Prior to the flight, the Lycoming O-320-E20 reciprocating engine had a complete overhaul and was reinstalled onto the airplane. The mechanic reported that there were no issues with the engine observed during the ground testing before the maintenance flight. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (total) · Approach-VFR pattern downwind
View NTSB preliminary report

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