Piper PA-20 accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 21, 2002
On July 21, 2002 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N1592A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Oshkosh 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
Inadequate visual lookout by both the accident pilot and the pilot of the other airplane. An additional cause is the arrival procedure used which resulted in a congested traffic pattern and the subsequent inadequate visual separation of the airplanes. Factors associated with the accident are the gusty crosswind, the pilot of the other aircraft landed longer than ATC expected, and the stall/spin encountered during the pilot's attempted remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2002 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Oshkosh · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N1592A · registry record · serial 20-829
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The PA-20 collided with the runway following an abrupt maneuver to avoid another airplane. The accident occurred during EAA AirVenture 2002, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The PA-20 pilot was cleared to land on the "orange dot" (1,500 from the threshold) on runway 27. A Cessna 172 was cleared to land on the numbers of runway 27. The PA-20 pilot reported that during his landing flare, he saw the Cessna 172 underneath his airplane. He pulled up and to the right to avoid a collision with the other Cessna 172. He stated he added full throttle and leveled the nose, but a strong wind from the left rolled the airplane to the left and "without enough airspeed for effective aileron" he could not reverse the roll. The airplane stalled and spun into the runway from an altitude of about 120 feet. The pilot of the Cessna 172 reported that there was a fairly strong left crosswind and that his airplane floated a little on the runway before touching down. Neither pilot reported seeing the other. The Cessna 172 pilot reported that he was unaware that an accident had occurred. Winds at the time of the accident were from 230 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 22 knots. As announced on the airport terminal information service (ATIS), the VFR Oshkosh Arrival, Yellow Flow procedures were in effect at the time of the accident. The Yellow Flow instructs pilots to join the other traffic over over a VFR checkpoint. The traffic then travels around the northwest side of the airport, entering a right base leg for either runway 18L or 18R. In addition to landing VFR traffic on runway 18L and 18R, air traffic control (ATC) was landing VFR traffic on runway 27. This was accomplished by having the VFR traffic extend their base leg for the 18 runways, putting them on a right downwind for runway 27. The VFR landings on runway 27 were not outlined as part of the Yellow Flow procedures. The only landings on runway 27 that are a part of the procedure were IFR arrivals approaching the airport from the east and warbirds who were to approach the airport from the southeast. Neither airplane was issued go-around procedures from ATC. The PA-20 pilot reported that his passenger recalled hearing an ATC transmission about an airplane underneath them, but by this time he had already pulled up and it was too late. T
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 16, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,258 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 2001; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOP Mount Pleasant MI at 6:15 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 6,178 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 91°F (33°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from OSH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.