Summary
On January 16, 2026, a Cessna 172K (N79118) was involved in an incident near Amery, WI. All 1 person aboard were uninjured.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN26LA094. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N79118.
Accident Details
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN26LA094