Piper PA-11 accident near Rexburg, Idaho, October 19, 2024
On October 19, 2024 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1947 Piper PA-11, registered N4846M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Rexburg, Idaho (Rexburg-Madison County airport). It was an air-drop flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid transmission wires during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2024 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rexburg, Idaho · Rexburg-Madison County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11, built 1947 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N4846M · registry record · serial 11-376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air-drop flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was in a pumpkin drop competition that was being held on a farm field with a new landing strip. The prevailing winds necessitated that the airplanes fly over transmission wires prior to landing. The pilot stated that he dropped his pumpkins, but missed the target by a long distance. During his landing, he flew over one set of power lines and reduced power to descend and land. The airplane inadvertently struck a second, parallel set of wires that he had not seen. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was hospitalized for 12 weeks following the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 10,800 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RXE Rexburg ID at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KRXE
Weather report (METAR): KRXE 241753Z AUTO 06004KT 10SM CLR 17/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP182 T01720028 10172 20039 58008
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.