Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Lake Michigan, Wisconsin, July 27, 2013
On July 27, 2013 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1549X, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lake Michigan, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with wake turbulence, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of control of the airplane and its subsequent in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the approach controller’s failure to issue a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2013 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Michigan, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1549X · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7535322
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving flight-following services from an approach controller, who gave the pilot vectors to fly east over Lake Michigan and then north to avoid conflicting traffic. On the northerly heading, the accident pilot flew 1.4 miles behind the other airplane. When the accident pilot had the traffic in sight, the approach controller allowed him to pass behind the other airplane and then turn northbound as requested. Shortly thereafter, the approach controller lost radar contact with the pilot. Search and rescue operations were conducted, and the airplane was located in the lake. According to recorded radar data, the accident airplane's flightpath crossed the other airplane's flightpath at 1,800 feet mean sea level (msl) about 39 seconds after the other airplane passed the same location at the same altitude. Because the approach controller's plan explicitly had the accident pilot pass behind the other airplane and the other airplane was descending from above the accident airplane, it is likely that the accident airplane encountered wake turbulence. Primary radar returns detected by airport surveillance radar were consistent with the in-flight breakup of the airplane. The approach controller did not issue a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot. Although wake turbulence is primarily the pilot's responsibility, the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control Handbook does require controllers to provide pilots with a wake turbulence advisory if, in the controller's opinion, wake turbulence may adversely affect their aircraft. In this case, the approach controller should have been cognizant of the potential hazard and issued a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot.
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
- Aircraft wake turb encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › ATC personnel
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Capability exceeded
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › ATC personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,920 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,961 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming I0360 SER (piston); 2,911 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KRAC Racine WI at 7:31 pm
- Destination: KOSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from KMKE, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.