Piper PA-31T3 N401VA

Summary

On 26 July 2025 at about 12:45 local time, a Piper PA-31T3 registered N401VA, operated by PRO Aire Cargo & Consulting Inc, was involved in an accident near Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 July 2025 at 12:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Appleton, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Appleton Intl (ATW)

Coordinates

44.2582, -88.5122

Aircraft

Piper PA-31T3

Registration

N401VA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

2

Operator

PRO Aire Cargo & Consulting Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Appleton → Menominee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA293

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane on the ground, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during engine start up, he applied the brakes to the cargo airplane and remained stationary while he received a taxi clearance. As he released the brakes to begin taxiing, the brake pedals went to the floor with no braking action. He pumped the brakes several times with no effect, so he feathered both propellers and shut down the engines. The airplane continued to roll and collided with a parked airplane on the ramp. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A functional check revealed that the brake system was operational with no malfunctions noted. The left main landing gear brake pads were worn beyond allowable limits. The examination did not reveal any other anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. While the left brake pads were worn beyond allowable limits, the main landing gear braking action would have still been available to the pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.