On October 13, 2026, about 2130 central daylight time, a Piper Aircraft PA-46-350P JetProp DLX airplane, N931TT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The pilot, the pilot-rated passenger, and the four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal cross-country flight.
The pilot was the owner of the airplane, and the purpose of the flight was to transport friends to a sporting event and back home.
A preliminary review of flight track data showed that on the day of the accident, the airplane departed the Menomonie Municipal Airport (LUM), Menomonie, Wisconsin, about 1443. The airplane landed at the Kenosha Regional Airport (ENW), Kenosha, Wisconsin, about 1548.
The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan, and the airplane departed from ENW about 2043, with a destination as LUM. The flight track data showed that the airplane departed from ENW and flew to the northwest, then turned to a west heading and climbed to a cruise altitude of flight level (FL) 240. The pilot was issued the weather conditions along the route of flight. At 2125, the pilot, who was in contact with the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU ARTCC), reported the airplane had encountered icing conditions, and requested a lower altitude. The pilot was approved to descend the airplane to an altitude of 11,000 ft.
The ZAU ARTCC controller made several attempts to assist the pilot after the pilot stated the airplane was having issues with the radios, and the pilot was unsure of the airplane's heading, altitude, and airspeed. The controller lost communications with the airplane as it descended through 15,000 ft.
The flight track data showed the airplane initially continued in a west direction and entered into a right-hand descending turn, with upward pitch changes, and a rapid increase in airspeed reaching as high as 339 kts, before decreasing. The airplane briefly ended up on a track about 180° in the opposite direction, until the flight track data was lost about 2130.
A preliminary review of weather information revealed that the National Weather Service Aviation Weather Center Current Icing Product indicated an area of 50 percent probability of icing conditions existed at FL 240 in the vicinity of the accident site, near the time of the accident. The icing severity indicated pockets of light to moderate icing were possible in the vicinity of the accident site.
A preliminary review of archived information showed the pilot did not request weather information from Leidos Flight Service. The pilot did have an account through ForeFlight, and he did receive a weather briefing from ForeFlight.
The debris path was located throughout a rural residential area and the Mirror Lake Pine Oak Forest State Natural Area, owned and managed by the state of Wisconsin. Both areas consisted of large trees and heavy brush. There were no ground injuries or property damage.
Both wings were found separated from the fuselage. Both horizontal stabilizers and elevators were found separated from the empennage. The wreckage was documented at multiple locations, it was recovered from the accident site, and it was transported to a secure location for future examination. Multiple damaged avionics units were removed from the airplane and were transported to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory.
The airplane, which was manufactured in 2008, was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35 turboprop engine and a MT-Propeller MTV-16-1 four-blade, controllable pitch, wood and composite propeller. The airplane was originally manufactured and known as a Malibu Mirage, but was later converted in November 2019 to a JetProp DLX model through an FAA supplemental type certificate held by the Rocket Engineering Corporation. The airplane was also equipped with an autopilot system.
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, airplane single engine land, and a type rating for the Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 airplanes. The pilot successfully completed a 14 CFR 61.58 pilot-in-command proficiency check on September 17, 2026, in an Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 airplane. The pilot-rated passenger held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, airplane single engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land.
A review of the airplane's maintenance records showed the airframe, the engine, and the propeller all had an annual inspection performed by a mechanic on November 13, 2025.
A review of the JetProp DLX Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual states that the airplane may be operated in day or night visual flight rules, day or night instrument flight rules, and known icing when the appropriate equipment is installed and operable. This document states to monitor the ambient air temperate and that while severe icing may form at temperatures as cold as -18° Celsius (-0.4 Fahrenheit), increased vigilance is warranted at temperatures around freezing with visible moisture present. The document also contains a warning about operating in severe icing and states:
Severe icing may result from environmental conditions outside of those for which the airplane is certificated. Flight in freezing rain, freezing drizzle, or mixed icing conditions (supercooled liquid water and ice crystals) may result in ice build-up on protected surfaces exceeding the capability of the ice protection system, or may result in ice forming aft of the protected surfaces. This ice may not be shed using the ice protection systems and may seriously degrade the performance and controllability of the airplane.
