APPLETON — The National Transportation Safety Board has completed its investigation into the Jan. 2 crash of a Cessna Skyhawk at the Appleton Municipal Airport in which the pilot escaped injury.
In a report filed July 10, the Safety Board report found that during the landing roll, the airplane encountered ice on the runway and drifted to the left. “The student pilot added power to abort the landing, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with runway lighting,” stated the report.
It continued: “He pulled back on the yoke and the aircraft climbed momentarily, but it did not have enough airspeed to sustain flight. The airplane touched down on the left side of the runway and nosed over.”
The pilot, identified as a 42-year-old man from Clear Lake, Wisconsin, was on a cross-country, solo flight. He had flown over the airport to assess the runway, and noted that the windsock indicated that he would be landing with a crosswind from the right. He determined that the runway was suitable for landing, according to the report.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing strut. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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Local first responders checked on the pilot, and Appleton police, ambulance and fire and the Swift County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident scene.
