Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER accident near Broadhead, Wisconsin, July 22, 2012
On July 22, 2012 at about 8:40 pm local time, a amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER, registered N899KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Broadhead, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately remove water-contaminated fuel during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during takeoff, and his decision to initiate a turn back to the runway with insufficient airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2012 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Broadhead, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER
- Registration
- N899KP · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot's wife stated that the airplane's engine was running rough prior to the flight and that her husband had drained a significant amount of water from the fuel drain. Once he thought the water was drained from the system, he departed. A witness saw the airplane climb to treetop level and enter a left turn as if the pilot was trying to turn back to the airport when the engine lost power. The airplane then made a hard left turn and descended straight down to the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and both wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel line downstream of the fuel valve.
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 control in flight during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Water › Inadequate inspection
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 353 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C37 Broadhead WI
- Destination: Austin TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12CA469.