- Date
- March 21, 2026, 16:00 UTC
- Place
- Madison, IN · in muddy field near airport windsock
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7548PPiper PA-24-250
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Indianapolis FSDO
- Case key
- 202694
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 proper airspeed during takeoff and exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 during the takeoff rotation there was a slight vibration in the airplane and the controls felt “mushy.” The pilot lost aircraft control as the left wing stalled and dropped. The pilot aborted the takeoff and managed to get the wings level before impacting a ditch and coming to rest upright in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Airport management personnel reviewed an airport security camera video that captured the accident sequence. The video was consistent with the pilot’s description of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7548P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250 (Commanche)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2756
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 3,052.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Secolad N7548P LLC
- Registered owner
- Secolad N7548P LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 2025 · 106 hours before
- Departed
- IMS · Madison, IN
- Destination
- DBQ · Dubuque, IA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- IMS · Madison Rgnl, runway 03/21, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 2, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 523 total · 271 in this make and model · 412 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 40 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KBAK, 36 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KBAK 211445Z 14008KT 10SM CLR 15/ A2996
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
Other investigations on N7548P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.