Piper PA-24-250 accident near Eau Claire, Wisconsin, October 19, 2025
On October 19, 2025 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA-24-250, registered N5865P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Chippewa Valley Rgnl 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 ensure that the landing gear was properly extended before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s unfamiliarity with the landing gear warning horn and failure to verify the gear was extended with the cockpit position indicators.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2025 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin · Chippewa Valley Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1959 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5865P · registry record · serial 24-948
- 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 while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, he selected the landing gear selector down but did not verify the landing gear was extended using the landing gear position indicator light. The pilot heard an unknown faint audible alarm as he approached the runway, which he later discovered to be the airplane’s landing gear warning horn. The pilot continued to the runway, and subsequently the airplane landed on its belly and slid off the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. According to a mechanic who aided in the recovery of the airplane, the landing gear was found partially extended. He stated that during recovery operations, the landing gear extended freely by extending the emergency gear handle and moving the hand lever. The airplane was moved to a hangar and placed on jacks. The landing gear circuit breaker was found tripped. The landing gear linkage was re-connected from the emergency extension, and the circuit breaker was reset. The landing gear was cycled multiple times with no anomalies found. The landing gear warning horn and position indicator lights functioned normally. The pilot stated that if he had checked the landing gear position indicator before landing, he would have manually extended the landing gear. Additionally, he had never heard the landing gear warning horn before the accident.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 162 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 24, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,087 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1-AA5 (piston); 814 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GPH Mosby MO at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04/2, 8,101 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KEAU
Weather report (METAR): KEAU 192156Z 30011KT 10SM FEW060 13/M01 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP093 T01281011,M
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA | 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.