# Accident 20250726012222A: Piper PA-31T3, Appleton, WI, July 26, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 26, 2025, 07:52 local time
- Place: Appleton, WI
- Airport: Appleton International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Collision: Collision on the ground
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: W1XA
- Location: 44.2582° N, 88.5122° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2582&lon=-88.5122&mi=10
- Aircraft: N401VA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N401VA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31T3 (registry code 7103128, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (registry code 52043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-60a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31T3
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 18,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA293) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250726012222A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JULY 26, 2025, AT 7:10 AM, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FROM MILWAUKEE AIRPORT (MKE) WITH APPROXIMATELY 375 LBS. OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CARGO. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT APPLETON AIRPORT (ATW) AT 7:35 AM ON RUNWAY 21. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT EXITED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND TAXIED TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST APRON OF THE ATW FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PARKED AND SHUT DOWN TO UNLOAD THE CARGO. THE PILOT REBOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND STARTED BOTH ENGINES WHILE OBTAINING IFR AND TAXI CLEARANCES. THE PILOT STATED THAT UPON RELEASING THE BRAKES AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, HE DISCOVERED THAT BOTH PEDALS WENT DOWN WITHOUT BRAKING EFFECT. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES, HE FEATHERED BOTH PROPS AND SHUT OFF BOTH ENGINES, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ROLLING AND COLLIDED WITH THE PARKED CITATION JET ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHICH HAD NO OCCUPANTS ABOARD, AT 7:50 AM. THE COLLISION RESULTED IN N401VA FACING SOUTHWEST, WITH DAMAGE TO THE LEFT PROP AND WING, WHILE N163M SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE CONE, RADAR, AND RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT EXITED N401VA WITHOUT INJURY, AND NO OTHER PERSONS WERE INVOLVED OR INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N163M, Cessna 525C: no report for this aircraft; [N163M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N163M) is registered now

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN25LA293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA293), Jul 26, 2025: Piper PA-31T3 (N401VA), Appleton, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane on the ground, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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