Cessna 305A accident near Baraboo, Wisconsin, July 20, 2025
On July 20, 2025 at about 8:25 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna 305A, registered N9623Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Baraboo, Wisconsin (Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2025 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Baraboo, Wisconsin · Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A, built 1951 · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N9623Q · registry record · serial 22840
- 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 he experienced a mild bounce during landing and that touchdown after that was smooth, but the airplane drifted to the left. He applied right rudder and added brake to counteract the drift unsuccessfully. The airplane continued to swerve left, and the right main landing gear separated from the plane which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 687.6 hours in all; 36.6 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 497 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 16, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,149 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCWI Clinton IA at 7:02 pm
- Destination: KDLL Baraboo WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,010 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KDLL
Weather report (METAR): KDLL 202015Z AUTO 09005KT 10SM OVC065 26/15 A3004 RMK AO2 T02640151
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9623Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CEN25LA268.