Piper PA-28-181 N7644F

Summary

On 6 February 1982 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N7644F, operated by William H. Cruse, was involved in an accident near East Lansing, Michigan, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

6 February 1982 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

East Lansing, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Davis (2D8)

Coordinates

42.9999, -84.8407

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N7644F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William H. Cruse

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

East Lansing → Lapeer

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI82DA039

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF ON A SNOW COVERED, SOD RUNWAY THAT HAD BEEN PLOWED WITH A 50 FT WIDE STRIP. THE PLOWED AREA HAD A SNOW BASE AND THERE WERE FOUR FOOT SNOW BANKS AT THE EDGES. ALTHOUGH THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN PLOWED ON THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND IT HAD NOT SNOWED. THE WIND HAD DRIFTED LOOSE SNOW OVERNIGHT. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHEN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR HIT A DRIFT. THE PLANE SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND STRUCK THE SNOWBANK AT THE EDGE OF THE PLOWED STRIP.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.