What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 13, 2026, around 9:50AM CST, a commercial, instrument rate pilot was operating a 1978 Piper arrow – privacy data omitted – at dupage airport (kdpa) preparing for a departure on a personal flight to be conducted under visual flight rules to southern Wisconsin regional airport (kjvl) with two non-pilot rated passengers. Weather was VFR with 10 miles visibility but strong gusty northwest winds 340 at 17 knots gusting 28 knots.
The original plan was to fly to prairie du chien municipal (kpdc) but that was cancelled due to IFR conditions along the route of flight and a first-time passenger. The PIC then decided to go to kjvl for breakfast instead. The PIC planned the flight including w&b calculations for himself and his passengers as well as performance calculations. All were within limits. PIC completed a preflight, loaded his passengers, and did a run up with no anomalies found.
PIC requested and received ATC taxi clearance to taxi to runway 33 for departure and to expect intersection departure at echo. PIC accepted the intersection departure based on previous experiences and his performance calculations. With the strong gusting winds, the PIC configured the aircraft for a short field with 25 degrees of flap and added 5 knots (for gust factor) to the short field rotation speed of 60 knots.
When cleared for takeoff by ATC, the PIC had problems building and maintaining airspeed, although the plane was operating normally. Approaching intersection charlie with fluctuating airspeed PIC elected to abort the takeoff. PIC applied maximum breaking. The left wheel locked and the plane yawed to the left. The plane headed for the runway 15 REIL light box. The plane struck the REIL box causing substantial damage. The PIC shutdown the aircraft and exited the aircraft with his passengers. There were no injuries reports by the PIC or passengers
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 13, 2026, AROUND 9:50AM CST, A COMMERCIAL, INSTRUMENT RATE PILOT WAS OPERATING A 1978 PIPER ARROW – ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ – AT DUPAGE AIRPORT (KDPA) PREPARING FOR A DEPARTURE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES TO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL AIRPORT (KJVL) WITH TWO NON-PILOT RATED PASSENGERS. WEATHER WAS VFR WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY BUT STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS 340 AT 17 KNOTS GUSTING 28 KNOTS.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO FLY TO PRAIRIE DU CHIEN MUNICIPAL (KPDC) BUT THAT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT AND A FIRST-TIME PASSENGER. THE PIC THEN DECIDED TO GO TO KJVL FOR BREAKFAST INSTEAD. THE PIC PLANNED THE FLIGHT INCLUDING W&B CALCULATIONS FOR HIMSELF AND HIS PASSENGERS AS WELL AS PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS. ALL WERE WITHIN LIMITS. PIC COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT, LOADED HIS PASSENGERS, AND DID A RUN UP WITH NO ANOMALIES FOUND.
PIC REQUESTED AND RECEIVED ATC TAXI CLEARANCE TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 33 FOR DEPARTURE AND TO EXPECT INTERSECTION DEPARTURE AT ECHO. PIC ACCEPTED THE INTERSECTION DEPARTURE BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES AND HIS PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS. WITH THE STRONG GUSTING WINDS, THE PIC CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A SHORT FIELD WITH 25 DEGREES OF FLAP AND ADDED 5 KNOTS (FOR GUST FACTOR) TO THE SHORT FIELD ROTATION SPEED OF 60 KNOTS.
WHEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY ATC, THE PIC HAD PROBLEMS BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AIRSPEED, ALTHOUGH THE PLANE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. APPROACHING INTERSECTION CHARLIE WITH FLUCTUATING AIRSPEED PIC ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. PIC APPLIED MAXIMUM BREAKING. THE LEFT WHEEL LOCKED AND THE PLANE YAWED TO THE LEFT. THE PLANE HEADED FOR THE RUNWAY 15 REIL LIGHT BOX. THE PLANE STRUCK THE REIL BOX CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PIC SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH HIS PASSENGERS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTS BY THE PIC OR PASSENGERS
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N31401 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.