- Date
- March 6, 1994, 18:48 local (Mar 7, 1994, 00:48 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, WI
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2145TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940306003699A
- Case key
- 9476
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-in-command's poorly planned approach and failure to maintain the proper glidepath. The dark night was a factor.
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
During a night straight in approach the airplane undershot the intended landing runway and impacted the terrain one-quarter mile short of the runway. The pilot-in-command stated that he felt he could have prevented the accident if he had flown a traffic pattern.
Factual narrative
On March 6, 1994, at 1848 central standard time, a Piper, PA-28- 140, N2145T, registered to John E. Walz of Columbus, Wisconsin, and operated by a private pilot, experienced an undershoot during a night landing to the lighted runway 31 (5,846' x 150' dry/concrete) at the Dane County Regional Airport, Madison, Wisconsin. The landing was made one-quarter mile short of the runway in a farm field. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot and three passengers reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Chicago, Illinois, at 1745.
The pilot stated during an interview that he misjudged the altitude of the airplane above the ground on a straight in approach at night. He indicated that he had the runway lights in sight until impact and thought he was on the correct glidepath. He stated that he possibly could have prevented the accident by flying the traffic pattern.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2145T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7125544
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Walz, John E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CGX · Chicago, IL
- Airport
- MSN · Dane Co Regional-Truax, runway 31, 5,846 × 150 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 170 total · 115 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSN, 1 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.