- Date
- July 13, 2025, 08:41 local (13:41 UTC)
- Place
- Howard, WI · airport fence
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N88220Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20250713012409A
- Case key
- 200519
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane while on approach to land.
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 pilot reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern. He noted that the approach was normal, and the airplane was on the glideslope. As the airplane descended below the tree line, it suddenly lost altitude, and the airplane struck a wire fence near the end of the runway. The right main landing gear became entangled in the fence; however, the pilot was able to continue the landing. The entangled wire from the fence eventually became taut and brought the airplane to an abrupt stop and the airplane nosed over. The wings, wing struts, vertical stabilizer, and rudder sustained substantial damage during the landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88220
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15837
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,104
- Engine
- Continental A75, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 2024 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- 08WI · Howard, WI
- Destination
- 08WI · Howard, WI
- Airport
- 08WI · Faikel Airfield, runway 16, 1,100 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 11, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 87 in this make and model · 116 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KGRB, 6 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KGRB 131353Z 26006KT 5SM HZ CLR 21/17 A2999
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB 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.