Piper PA-18 accident near Waukesha, Wisconsin, August 7, 2006
On August 7, 2006 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N2396J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waukesha, Wisconsin (Waukesha County 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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind and failure to maintain directional control which resulted in a groundloop. Factors included the closed runway and the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2006 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waukesha, Wisconsin · Waukesha County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N2396J · registry record · serial 18-7909116
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel equipped airplane ground looped during the landing rollout. The pilot reported that he had performed two stop and go landings at another airport before landing at the accident airport. He reported that runway 18/36 was closed and runway 28 was the active runway. He reported that he noticed that the windsock was "straight out" indicating that the winds were from the south creating a left crosswind landing. He reported that during the landing rollout "the aircraft ground looped to the right hitting the left wing on the runway." About 15 minutes prior to the accident, the reported winds were 340 degrees at 5 knots.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O2C Brookfield WI at 5:45 pm
- Destination: UES Waukesha WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from UES
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 N2396J 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.