- Date
- September 17, 1988, 22:00 local (Sep 18, 1988, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenosha, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6252JPiper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880917039159A
- Case key
- 14164
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.
Analysis
While on a VFR approach to the airport, at night, the pilot misidentified the street lights in a mobile home park as the runway lights and descended into wires. Afterward the pilot was able to continue to the intended runway and made a successful landing. After landing the pilot discovered parts of the tail missing including the rudder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6252J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7615347
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vagabond Flying Association
- Registered owner
- Vagabond Flying Ass.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1988 · 230 hours before
- Departed
- DPA · West Chicago, IL
- Destination
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Airport
- ENW · Kenosha, runway 24R, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 125 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKE, 22 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.