Piper J3L-65 accident near Reeseville, Wisconsin, October 18, 1997
On October 18, 1997 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper J3L-65, registered N33252, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reeseville, Wisconsin (Reeseville (Private) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the normal braking system, due to a low level of brake fluid. Factors relating to the accident were: inadequate inspection of the aircraft by other maintenance personnel, the pilot's failure to check the brakes after brake maintenance/inspection, the tailwind, and the location of trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 1997 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reeseville, Wisconsin · Reeseville (Private) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3L-65 · all J3L-65s on the register
- Registration
- N33252 · registry record · serial 5927
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the winds were from the southwest at 10 knots. He entered the traffic pattern on a left downwind for a northbound landing on his private airstrip. He reported that he landed approximately one-third of the way down the 900' grass strip. During the roll out, he depressed the brake pedals and found both to be ineffective in slowing the airplane. He said that because of trees off the departure end of the runway, a go-around attempt would have been inappropriate. He opted to continue the landing roll, swerving to the left before colliding with trees off the departure end of the runway. Postaccident inspection confirmed that there was no brake engagement at either wheel. Examination of the brake system revealed that the master cylinder reservoir was not full. After adding approximately 1\2 ounce of brake fluid to the cylinder, the brakes engaged. The pilot said that three flights before the accident, the brakes felt 'soft' following a landing. He said that he flew the accident airplane twice after the brakes were tested by a maintenance facility, prior to the accident flight. The pilot stated that he did not recall ever using or testing the brakes at any time during this time. He said that he usually only used the brakes after landing at Reeseville, due to the short landing area.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 920 hours in all; 106 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,745 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 1996; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HXF Hartford WI at 8:45 pm
- Destination: RLA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.