- Date
- October 19, 1984, 19:40 local (Oct 20, 1984, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bruce, WI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2898DPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841019068939A
- Case key
- 12804
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed into a heavily wooded area during a x-country personal flight. Witnesses observed the acft circle the lighted football field at atlanta, WI, at an altitude low enough that they feared the acft would hit trees in the vicinity. At this time the wx conditions at atlanta were: low overcast, rainy, gusty winds. Witnesses watched the acft depart the area toward higher ground and heard an explosion. Investigation did not reveal pre- impact failure of the acft and autopsy and toxicology test did not reveal any medical complications or evidence of drugs or alcohol.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2898D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7940-188
- Airframe hours
- 1,145
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dianne Droessler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 13, 1984 · 155 hours before
- Departed
- MKE · Milwaukee, WI
- Destination
- SSQ · Shell Lake, WI
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 75 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAU, 40 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.