Muskego police had an unusual problem on their hands Monday, Feb. 16, when pilots repeatedly radioed air-traffic controllers asking to land on the frozen surface of Little Muskego Lake. A string of requests and back-and-forth chatter, including calls for low flybys, left officers worried about a mix of people and aircraft testing out questionable ice. Despite all the radio drama, officials said there were no reports of planes going through the ice or anyone getting hurt.
The department spelled it all out in a Facebook post, headlined "help me tom cruise!" and packed with transcribed radio snippets like "tower, this is ghostrider requesting a flyby" and the deadpan reply, "uhhh…this is muskego police dispatch," according to the Muskego Police Department. Police said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources contacted dispatch after residents complained about planes circling the lake and asking to land. Officers urged both pilots and curious spectators to stay off the ice until conditions are confirmed safe.
City Rules Ban Propeller Craft And Cap Ice Speeds
Local pilots looking to treat Little Muskego Lake like a runway are also up against city rules. Muskego’s lake ordinance bars propeller-driven vehicles from operating on ice-covered lakes and limits motor-vehicle speeds on the ice to 10 miles per hour. Those winter restrictions, along with permit requirements for organized events on frozen waterways, are spelled out in the municipal code, per the City of Muskego.
DNR And Local Crews Say Late-Winter Ice Is Never A Sure Thing
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources urges people to be wary every winter, stressing that "no ice is safe" because warm spells, wind and underwater currents can quickly chew away at shoreline ice and hidden weak spots, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Recent seasons have also seen multiple ice-rescue calls in the Muskego area, with local crews pulled into action as conditions changed faster than people expected; see coverage by CBS 58 for background on those rescues.
What Penalties Could Follow
Muskego’s code adopts state boating penalties for lake violations and treats infractions as forfeitures, which means anyone cited for breaking ice rules can face fines under both local and state law. Enforcement typically falls to Muskego police and DNR wardens, and the ordinance gives the city tools to regulate events and clamp down on unsafe lake access when conditions turn hazardous. The details for winter regulations are laid out in the lake-use section of the City of Muskego.
Police said they will keep coordinating with state wardens and other local agencies to head off any unsafe lake landings and asked anyone who spots aircraft or vehicles on the ice to report it to local dispatch. The department added that pilots should stick to established airports or approved open-water landing areas where allowed, and that everyone ought to treat late-season ice with a healthy dose of caution.
