Piper PA-24 accident near Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, November 4, 2002
On November 4, 2002 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-24, registered N6606P, was destroyed in an accident near Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin (Fond Du Lac County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain obstacle clearance from the power lines while on a night VFR approach. Factors to the accident included the dark night and the power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2002 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin · Fond Du Lac County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N6606P · no longer on the register · serial 241728
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane hit a 110 foot high power line 2.2 nautical miles south of the destination airport, and was destroyed by impact with the terrain and post-impact fire. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. A witness reported that he was about one mile south of the power lines, when he saw an airplane with it lights on flying from south to north at a very low altitude. He reported that the airplane's altitude would have been about 50 feet higher than the power lines. Inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
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: 3,260 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,928 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VPZ Valparaiso IN at 10:20 pm
- Destination: FLD Fond Du Lac WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FLD, 2 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N6606P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.