Piper PA-23-160 accident near Eau Claire, Wisconsin, August 27, 1989
On August 27, 1989 at about 7:04 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N8886, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Eau Claire 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
INADVERTENT RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR BY THE PILOT. HIS HABIT INTERFERENCE AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1989 · about 7:04 pm local time
- Place
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin · Eau Claire County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8886 · no longer on the register · serial 23-1171
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS INTENTION WAS TO PERFORM A TOUCH-AND-GO. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LANDING, HE 'RAISED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE FLAP CONTROL LEVER WITHOUT LOOKING DOWN . . . I REALIZED THAT I INADVERTENTLY RAISED THE GEAR CONTROL LEVER INSTEAD . . .' THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE GRASS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP. THE PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 1,193 HOURS, OF WHICH 4 HOURS WERE IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT. HE ALSO STATED THAT HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND HABITS HAD BEEN DEVELOPED IN AIRCRAFT WITH A DIFFERENT FLAP/GEAR HANDLE CONFIGURATION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,193 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,052 as pilot in command; 548 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,406 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 1989; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Minneapolis MN at 6:30 pm
- Destination: EAU
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 4,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:08 pm from EAU
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.