Piper PA-28-181 accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 13, 2005
On November 13, 2005, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N2241P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milwaukee, 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's fuel mismanagement. Factors to the accident included the pilot's impairment due to alcohol, the FAA's inadequate oversight when it issued the pilot a second class medical certificate, the power lines, and night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 2005
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N2241P · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990294
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted power lines at night during an emergency descent after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he departed on the flight in order to keep current at night flying and to practice night takeoffs and landings. He reported that rain was forecast for later that night, but that the sky was clear and "bumpy" after departure. He ran into light rain and decided to return to the departure airport before the weather got any worse. He reported that the engine quit and he executed a forced landing to a "desolate street," but impacted wires. The airplane remained tangled in the power line wires, and emergency personnel removed the pilot from the suspended airplane about 2 hours later. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank contained no fuel, and that fuel "poured" out of the right fuel tank when it was drained of fuel. The fuel tanks were not compromised, and there were no fuel leaks from either tank. The fuel selector was selected to the left fuel tank. The flight duration was about 2.3 hours. The pilot's blood was tested for the presence of alcohols. The blood ethanol concentration was 0.286 grams per 100 milliliters. The FAA FAR Part 91.17 legal limit is 0.04. The pilot's FAA medical records revealed that the pilot had a history of alcohol-related traffic offenses since at least 20 years of age (17 years prior to the accident). The manager of the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division sent a letter to the pilot on June 26, 2002, which noted, "Our review of your medical records has established that you are eligible for a second-class medical certificate. ... Continued airman medical certification remains contingent upon your total abstinence from use of alcohol. ..." There is no indication of any additional requirement for evaluation or follow up. The pilot's most recent Application for 2nd Class Medical Certificate, dated April 21, 2005 indicated "no" in response to "HAVE YOU EVER IN YOUR LIFE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH, HAD, OR DO YOU PRESENTLY HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ... Alcohol dependence or abuse." The pilot held a current second class medical certificate dated April 21, 2005.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 526 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,631 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 230 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5K6 Westosha WI at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 17 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from MKE
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.