NTSB CHI82DA238 — 1982-07-04 · BLACK RIVER FAL, Wisconsin, United States

Current FAA registration · N56339

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28R-200
Year of manufacture: 1973 · 9 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING IO-360-C1C (200 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20190814
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A734F2

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N56339 Piper PA-28-200R None

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING FLIGHT, HE ENCOUNTERED AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND STARTED TO LAND ON A ROAD, BUT THEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN BETTER, SO HE CONTINUED TO HIS DESTINATION. AFTER LANDING, HE DISCOVERED THAT A PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER (ABOUT 18 INCHES) AND A CORRESPONDING PART OF THE RUDDER WERE MISSING. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT DENIED BEING AWARE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLYING AT TREETOP LEVEL ABOVE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 94 FOR AN OBSERVED DISTANCE OF 15 TO 17 MILES. ALSO, THE MISSING PIECES OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WERE FOUND ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY. ADDITIONALLY, DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON TWO OF THREE POWER LINES THAT WERE NEARBY AND ABOUT 90 FT AGL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_CHI82DA238.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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