- Date
- February 26, 1985, 18:15 local (Feb 27, 1985, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Markesan, WI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N54815Piper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850226008049A
- Case key
- 13016
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - snow coveredFactor
Proper touchdown point - misjudgedCause
Improper use of procedureFactor
Proper alignment - misjudgedCause
Psychological conditionFactor
Visual/aural perceptionFactor
Nose gear collapsed
Terrain condition - snow covered
Terrain condition - soft
Analysis
Although the pilot believed he had enough visibility to land at this unlighted airfield at dusk, he, in fact, aligned the aircraft up approximately 20 feet to the right of the runway. He landed in a shallow snowbank that paralleled the entire length of the runway. The nose gear collapsed shortly after touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54815
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7554112
- Airframe hours
- 3,900
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Strahota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 21, 1985 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- Y35 · Black River, WI
- Airport
- RLA · Nowatzski Feild, runway 27, 2,600 × 50 ft, gravel
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,775 total · 308 in this make and model · 1,630 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.