Piper PA-28-180 accident near Barron, Wisconsin, June 29, 2011
On June 29, 2011 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9002J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Barron, Wisconsin (Rice Lake Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power, which resulted from fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2011 · about 6:25 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Barron, Wisconsin · Rice Lake Regional Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9002J · registry record · serial 28-3027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 4.4 hours after departure on a cross-country flight, the airplane experienced a complete loss of engine power about 5 miles from the destination airport. The pilot was unable to restart the engine after switching fuel tanks, a forced landing was made to a nearby field, and the landing gear collapsed during the landing roll. The pilot stated that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion and was not the result of a mechanical malfunction of the engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Inoperative other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,255 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 5, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S25 Watford City ND at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KRPD Rice Lake WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KRPD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 23, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Piper PA-28-180 Owner's Handbook, Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet (Piper PA-28-180), Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9002J on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,621 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A 65 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Rice Lake Rgnl/Carl'S Field · nearest airport
- Watford City Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA430.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.