Piper PA 28-140 accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin, February 1, 2016
On February 1, 2016 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA 28-140, registered N1572J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sturtevant, Wisconsin (Sylvania airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath during a landing at dusk, which resulted in impact with a moving ground vehicle. Contributing to the accident was the inoperative precision approach path indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2016 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sturtevant, Wisconsin · Sylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140 140, built 1967 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1572J · no longer on the register · serial 28-23978
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was performing the fourth in a series of landings at dusk. While on final approach, the low-wing airplane's landing gear impacted a tractor-trailer traveling on the highway perpendicular to the runway. All three of the airplane's landing gear separated, and the pilot performed a go-around followed by a "belly" landing to the parallel grass runway. Following a similar accident about 19 years earlier, the airport installed a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) to provide visual glidepath guidance for pilots. The PAPI was inoperative at the time of the accident, and the airport had not issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to alert pilots of this fact. It is likely that the pilot's visual references were reduced due to the dusk conditions, and it is probable that, had the PAPI been operative and providing corrective feedback to the pilot, he would have adjusted the airplane's excessively low glidepath accordingly.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Operating environment › Approach aid coverage/avail › Visual approach aid › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Low light › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 704.2 hours in all; 613 in this make and model; 1.7 in the last 90 days; 1.7 in the last 30 days; 508.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 908 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAC Racine WI at 10:15 pm
- Destination: RAC Racine WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 2,272 ft by 38 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on October 13, 2016. 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 | Correspondence - Commitment Letter Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Aeronautics | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary Chief Wi DOT | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary Wi DOT | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Airports/arff - C89 Master Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Information - Exemplar Papi Information | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Map of Accident Area - C89 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Miscellaneous Information - Sun and Moon Data | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.