Piper PA-28-161 accident near Watertown, WI
On August 15, 2000, a Piper PA-28-161 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Watertown, WI. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 15, 2000
- Place
- Watertown, WI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.190°N, 88.719°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21658
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 15, 2000, at 1409 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8126V, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with the terrain and subsequent post-impact fire. The airplane was on initial climb from runway 11 (2,801 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at the Watertown Municipal Airport (RYV), Watertown, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of Baraboo Wisconsin Dells Airport, Baraboo, Wisconsin. According to written statements and witness interviews, the pilot announced over the Unicom frequency that he was going to depart to the north and was going to utilize runway 11 for his departure runway. Another pilot, who was entering the airport area from the northwest, announced his intentions of performing touch & goes on runway 29. He reported that he did not hear any response from the accident airplane and continued to enter the traffic pattern for runway 29. He stated that he announced his traffic pattern position and intentions for touch & goes on runway 29 multiple times prior to the accident aircraft's takeoff roll on runway 11. He reported that the accident airplane departed runway 11 and then started a right, nose-high turn. He stated that the accident airplane was in a 45-degree bank turn and that the airplane's landing light, lo
Probable cause
Aircraft control not being maintained during initial climb resulting in a stall/mush. Factors to the accident were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, the pilot operating over the airplane's certified maximum gross weight, and the pilot selecting the wrong runway which resulted in a downwind takeoff.
More accidents in WI
- Douglas DC-9-14, Sep 6, 1985
- Beech 200, Nov 16, 1987
- Piper PA-28-140, Feb 3, 1991
- Piper PA-32R-300, Aug 19, 1990
- Cessna 421C, Jul 1, 2017
Browse: Wisconsin · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
