- Date
- August 18, 2010, 09:31 local (14:31 UTC)
- Place
- Baraboo, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N601PPPiper Aerostar 601P
- Defining event
- Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100818043959A
- Case key
- 77245
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's diverted attention during an approach for landing that resulted in an altitude loss and impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane was on approach to the destination airport when the pilot noticed a differential reading between the left and right engine cylinder/exhaust temperatures. While preparing to land, he moved his seat back to be able to better view the gauges located on the right side of the instrument panel. While the pilot was recording the gauge indications on paper, the airplane's airspeed decreased, the sink rate increased, and the airplane descended and impacted trees and a corn field.
Factual narrative
On August 18, 2010, at 0931 central daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 601P, N601PP, received substantial damage on impact with terrain near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Reedsburg Municipal Airport (C35), Reedsburg, Wisconsin, about 0926 and was en route to Baraboo Wisconsin Dells Airport (DLL), Baraboo, Wisconsin. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane had the left cylinder temperature probes replaced at C35. The pilot was repositioning the airplane to DLL. While approaching DLL, the pilot noticed a differential reading between the left and right engine cylinder/exhaust temperatures. While preparing to land, the pilot moved his seat back so as to get a better view of the engine temperature gauges located on the right side of the panel. While he was recording the gauge indications on paper, the airspeed decreased, the sink rate increased, and the airplane impacted trees and a corn field about 1/2 mile north of the approach end of runway 19.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601PP
- Reported as
- Piper Aerostar 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P07468063367
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- C35 · Reedsburg, WI
- Destination
- DLL · Baraboo, WI
- Airport
- DLL · Baraboo Wisconsin Dells Airpor
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 88
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 24,285 total · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- MSN, 30 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 19, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 38 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.