Piper PA-28-140 accident near Pepin, Wisconsin, July 19, 1985
On July 19, 1985, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N38174, was destroyed in an accident near Pepin, Wisconsin (Pepin Airways 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1985
- Place
- Pepin, Wisconsin · Pepin Airways · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N38174 · no longer on the register · serial 287725267
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED THREE QUARTERS DOWN A 2300 FOOT SOD RUNWAY AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF WITH 55 KIAS. THE AIRCRAFT MUSHED INTO TREES OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY WHEN THE PILOT COULDN'T OBTAIN FLYING SPEED. THE PILOT REPORTED FULL ENGINE RPM WAS AVAILABLE, TEMP 81 DEGREES F.
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: 96 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from RST, 30 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.
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.