Casualties unknown

Stall During ILS Procedure Turn at Central Wisconsin Airport (N427MQ)

Mosinee, WI, US

On December 22, 1988, an Aerospatiale ATR-42 (registration N427MQ) operated by Simmons Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Mosinee, WI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: STALL INDUCED BY THE ACCRETION OF MODERATE TO SEVERE CLEAR ICING. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A crew experienced a stall during an ILS procedure turn at Central Wisconsin Airport while in icing conditions, resulting in a 600-foot altitude loss before recovery.

Incident Details

The incident occurred during an instrument landing system (ILS) approach at Central Wisconsin Airport. The crew had executed a missed approach on the first attempt and decided to perform the complete procedure turn for the ILS. Both the first and second approaches were flown at an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with moderate to heavy rain.

Atmospheric Conditions

A temperature inversion existed between 5,000 feet and 3,000 feet MSL. According to the source, this created conditions conducive to moderate to severe clear icing. The aircraft remained in these conditions for 11.8 minutes.

Stall Event

Approximately halfway through the procedure turn, which was flown with the autopilot engaged, the captain reduced power to slow the aircraft for gear extension. At 157 knots in a clean configuration, the aircraft stalled. During the stall, the aircraft rolled 80 degrees to the left and 60 degrees to the right.

Recovery

The crew applied full power and executed stall recovery procedures. The aircraft was recovered with an altitude loss of 600 feet. The crew did not perceive any ice accretion, and the airframe deice system was not activated until after the stall.

Subsequent Approach

The third approach was conducted without incident.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001213X27394. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.