Piper PA-28-180 accident near Watertown, Wisconsin, July 29, 1989
On July 29, 1989 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3954R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watertown, Wisconsin (Watertown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE AND SPEED DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), INADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY TO MAKE A GO-AROUND, WET RUNWAY WITH HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS, THE FENCE, THE DITCH, AND THE ROADWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1989 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Watertown, Wisconsin · Watertown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3954R · registry record · serial 28-7105059
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG THE LANDING ROLL, THE ACFT RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE WET RWY & WENT THRU A FENCE & DITCH BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON A ROADWAY. THE WX CONDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT WERE DESCRIBED AS 'MUCKY,' WITH LOW CEILINGS (200' TO 400'), LOW VISIBILITIES (1 TO 1-1/2 MI), & A STEADY RAIN. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT ON SHORT FINAL APCH FOR THE RWY, RPRTD THAT IT APPEARED TO BE TOO FAST. HE ESTIMATED THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN APRX 600' FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE 4000' RWY. THE 63 YR OLD VFR PLT & THE 86 YR OLD ACFT OWNER TOLD WITNESSES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO AROUND. AN INSPN OF THE FUEL TANKS REVEALED ABOUT 5 GAL OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK, WHILE THE RIGHT TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY. THE ACFT OWNER/RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER WAS ALSO A RATED PLT, BUT SHE HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY IN LATE 1988 & NO LONGER HELD A VALID MED CERT. APRX 39 MI ESE AT MILWAUKEE, THE 1650 CDT WX WAS IN PART: PARTIAL OBSCURATION, 3500' BROKEN, VISIBILITY 1.5 MI HAZE & LIGHT RAIN, WIND 070 DEG AT 8 KTS.
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: 1,053 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DMO Sedalia MO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: RYV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,965 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from MKE, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.