Piper PA-31T3 accident near Appleton, Wisconsin, July 26, 2025
On July 26, 2025 at about 12:45 pm local time, a 1982 Piper PA-31T3, registered N401VA, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Appleton, Wisconsin (Appleton Intl airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 control of the airplane on the ground, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2025 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Appleton, Wisconsin · Appleton Intl · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T3, built 1982 · all PA-31T3s on the register
- Registration
- N401VA · registry record · serial 31T-8275001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during engine start up, he applied the brakes to the cargo airplane and remained stationary while he received a taxi clearance. As he released the brakes to begin taxiing, the brake pedals went to the floor with no braking action. He pumped the brakes several times with no effect, so he feathered both propellers and shut down the engines. The airplane continued to roll and collided with a parked airplane on the ramp. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A functional check revealed that the brake system was operational with no malfunctions noted. The left main landing gear brake pads were worn beyond allowable limits. The examination did not reveal any other anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. While the left brake pads were worn beyond allowable limits, the main landing gear braking action would have still been available 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
- Ground collision during taxi
- Loss of control on ground during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Inadequate inspection
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,895.2 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 4, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 9,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pro Aire Cargo & Consulting INC
The flight
- Departed from: ATW Appleton WI
- Destination: MNM Menominee WI
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 am from KATW, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KATW 261245Z 00000KT 7SM SCT120 21/17 A3000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN25LA293.