Piper PA-18-135 accident near Butte Des Mort, Wisconsin, July 20, 1994
On July 20, 1994 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9843Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Butte Des Mort, Wisconsin. It was an instructional 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
A DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE INSTRUCTOR. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS A PROPER AIRSPEED NOT BEING ATTAINED BY THE DUAL STUDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1994 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Butte Des Mort, Wisconsin
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9843Q · registry record · serial 18-3524
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR SAID HE WAS HAVING THE STUDENT PRACTICE POWER OFF APPROACHES WHEN HE SIMULATED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE STUDENT DID NOT PITCH THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE DOWN TO ATTAIN THE PROPER GLIDE SPEED ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE STUDENT TO PITCH THE NOSE DOWN TWICE BEFORE TAKING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. AS HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, THE INSTRUCTOR SAID HE APPLIED FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH THE WATER AS THE POWER WAS BEING APPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ABOUT 180 DEGREES BUT REMAINED UPRIGHT ON THE FLOATS WITH DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,905 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,770 as pilot in command; 2,155 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,599 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 1994; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 pm from OSH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.