Piper PA-32-260 accident near Chetek, Wisconsin, August 14, 2024
On August 14, 2024 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA-32-260, registered N3613W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Chetek, Wisconsin (Chetek Municipal/Southworth Ai airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2024 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chetek, Wisconsin · Chetek Municipal/Southworth Ai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260, built 1966 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3613W · registry record · serial 32-514
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane landed hard and bounced. He attempted to recover by flaring the nose up to bleed off energy as a gust of wind blew the airplane to the left of runway centerline. The pilot stated that during the hard landing he hit his head on the glareshield and momentarily lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, the airplane was flying towards the trees located to the east of runway 17. The airplane collided with the trees and both wings separated from the fuselage; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 90 hours in all; 35.2 in the last 90 days; 1.6 in the last 30 days; 21.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y23 Chetek WI at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Y23 Chetek WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,401 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from KRPD, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRPD 141735Z AUTO 14012G16KT 7SM BKN041 27/15 A3011
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 8, 2024. 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 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | 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.
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.