Piper PA-24 accident near Fond du Lac, WI
On November 4, 2002, a Piper PA-24 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, WI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 4, 2002
- Place
- Fond du Lac, WI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.770°N, 88.439°W
- NTSB ID
- 20021108X05450
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 4, 2002, at 1735 central standard time (cst), a Piper PA-24, N6606P, hit a power line and was destroyed by impact with the terrain and post-impact fire, 2.2 nautical miles south of the Fond du Lac County Airport (FLD), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight departed the Porter County Municipal Airport (VPZ), Valparaiso, Indiana, approximately 1720 eastern standard time (est), and was en route to FLD. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being flown under visual flight rules (VFR), and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger had departed FLD on October 31, 2002, for the Concord Regional Airport (JQF), Concord, North Carolina. They attended a NASCAR race near Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. On November 4, 2002, the pilot contacted the Raleigh-Durham Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at 0611 est. He received a pilot weather briefing for a route of flight from JQF to FLD. The pilot did not file a flight plan. The pilot departed JQF and flew VFR to VPZ. A fuel receipt indicated the pilot obtained 45.5 gallons of fuel at VPZ at 1712 est. The pilot departed VPZ and flew VFR to FLD. There was no record that the pilot contacted an approach control facility or FSS during the flight to FLD. Radar data indicated that an airplane emitting a 1200 transponder code was traveling south to northwest on a direct heading to FLD between 1722-1734 cst. The radar data indicated the airplane was flying at 3,200 feet pressure
Probable cause
The pilot failed to maintain obstacle clearance from the power lines while on a night VFR approach. Factors to the accident included the dark night and the power lines.
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.
