The probable cause of a 2023 plane crash in Watertown that killed the pilot and his grandson was the pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the crash, released July 23.
The June 14 crash killed 73-year-old William A. Buchholtz of Watertown and his grandson, 8-year-old Colin Strebe of Waukesha.
Buchholtz was the founder of Family Dental Practice in Watertown and owner for more than 40 years. Colin was a student at Summit View Elementary School in Waukesha. An obituary for Buchholtz said he and Colin were close and “shared many interests, and were traveling to enjoy those hobbies together.”
A plume of smoke is visible in Watertown, Wisconsin, after a plane crash that occurred in June 2023.
The Mooney M20 plane crashed near the Watertown Municipal Airport during its initial climb on a flight to Manitowish Waters. According to the 17-page report, when the airplane reached the clouds, it entered a climbing left turn, but didn’t establish a direct course or reach the intended 3,000-foot mean sea level before it entered a steep descending right turn. One witness reported seeing the plane descend “nose first” into a grass field and wooded area.
“The recorded flight path was consistent with the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation whileflying in instrument meteorological conditions,” the report said.
The Federal Aviation Administration refers to spatial disorientation as “a loss of proper bearings or a state of mental confusion as to position, location or movement relative to the position of the earth.” The FAA says between 5% and 10% of all general aviation accidents can be attributed to spatial disorientation.
Clouds were noted as an effect on operation.
The report also said that tests found two FAA-prohibited medications in the pilot’s system but the extent of impairment couldn’t be determined.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NTSB determines probable cause of 2023 crash in Watertown that killed 2