PIPER PA24 near Baraboo, WI — 2026-07-16

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On July 16, 2026, about 1508 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260 airplane, N8606P, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Baraboo, Wisconsin. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that for the cross-country flight, the airplane had about 6.5 hours of fuel onboard, and the planned flight only required about 2.5 hours of fuel. A preliminary review of ADS-B data showed the airplane depart, about 1232, from the Mitchell Municipal Airport (MHE), Mitchell, South Dakota. The airplane traveled to the east toward the destination airport, the Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells Regional Airport (DLL), Baraboo, Wisconsin. About 22 miles to the west of DLL, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to the south of DLL. About 17 miles to the south of DLL, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to the north toward DLL. According to air traffic control, the airplane was cleared for the RNAV (GPS) runway 1 instrument approach at DLL. As the airplane flew toward the approach end of runway 1, the airplane turned slightly to the west and then flew to the north over the various hangars, located to the west of runway 1. The airplane then maneuvered to the east, flying over runway 1. The pilot reported that the engine was not responding to his commands, but he did not hear any sputtering or popping noises. The airplane flew to the north of runway 1, the airplane turned to the west, and impacted trees. The pilot reported the airplane impacted trees because it could not produce climb power. The airplane came to rest upright on a flat grass field, on private property, located about 0.30 miles to the northwest of the approach end of runway 19. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. The airplane was recovered from the accident site, and it was transported to a secure location for future examination. A review of meteorological data from the closest weather reporting station, located at DLL, showed that the visibility at the time of the accident was about 1 3/4 miles, with moderate haze in the area, originating from large wildfires in Minnesota and Canada.

Preliminary NTSB coding

• Unknown or undetermined · Approach-circling (IFR)
• Loss of engine power (partial) · Approach-circling (IFR)