Piper PA-22-150 accident near Brodhead, Wisconsin, August 20, 2005
On August 20, 2005 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N2373P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brodhead, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude which resulted in an undershoot. A related factor was the vehicle the airplane contacted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2005 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Brodhead, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2373P · no longer on the register · serial 22-2764
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane contacted a vehicle while on final approach to land. The pilot stated that while on base leg in the traffic pattern, he appeared to be a "bit high" so he reduced the power slightly. The airplane started to "settle quickly" after he turned onto final approach, so he reapplied power and adjusted his flight controls to maintain airspeed. The pilot reported that his focus at this point was the runway and the corn field which was below him. He stated that the portion of the road that he could see and runway both appeared clear. The pilot reported everything appeared "normal" until he approached the edge of the corn field at which time he sensed he was low, so he added power. The pilot continued to report, "The crest of the road at the approach course was obscured by my own aircraft as I saw the terrain rising toward me. Interpreting it as sink despite my power, I did not realize it was actually the elevation rising. ... Seeing the road approach beneath my wheels all I can then recall was my bewilderment when the airplane lurched." The Chevy Blazer was traveling southbound on a road which boarders the east side of the airport. The right main landing gear struck the frame above the left rear passenger window, and the nose gear contacted the left side of the windshield and the driver's door window frame. The airplane traveled about 46 feet after striking the vehicle, coming rest in the grass area approximately 443 feet prior to the approach end of runway 21. Neither the pilot nor the driver of the vehicle saw each other prior to the impact.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,490 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,308 as pilot in command; 630 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7WI5 Brooklyn WI at 1:15 pm
- Destination: C37 Brodhead WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 am from JVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.