Piper PA-28-181 accident near Brookfield, Wisconsin, January 16, 1995
On January 16, 1995, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N39955, was destroyed in an accident near Brookfield, Wisconsin (Capitol Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor's failure to maintain clearance with trees. Factors associated with the accident were the trees and the night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1995
- Place
- Brookfield, Wisconsin · Capitol Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N39955 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990022
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER RETURNING FROM THE LOCAL PRACTICE AREA ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AT NIGHT, THE PRIVATE PILOT PROCEEDED TO PERFORM THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ACCEPTED THE PRIVATE PILOT'S INVITATION TO DO THE FOURTH APPROACH AND LANDING BY TAKING FULL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED ALL APPEARED NORMAL INCLUDING CENTERLINE TRACKING DURING THE FINAL APPROACH. WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS ON SHORT FINAL, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE. THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL POWER. THE LEFT WING THEN STRUCK A SECOND TREE AND WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN INVERTED POSITION. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL OR OTHER ANOMALIES WERE REPORTED BY EITHER THE INSTRUCTOR OR THE PRIVATE PILOT.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,045 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,902 as pilot in command; 965 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,038 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 4, 1994; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 02C at 11:45 pm
- Destination: 02C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 330 ft by 44 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; ovct at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N39955 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.