Piper PA-38-112 N4286E
9 September 1994 · West Branch, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 September 1994 at about 02:40 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N4286E, operated by Westwind Aviation, was involved in an accident near West Branch, Michigan, United States. 2 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 02:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Branch, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Thompson Airport
- Coordinates
- 44.2703, -84.2309
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112
- Registration
- N4286E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Westwind Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Mason
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- CHI94LA318
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper preflight planning in estimating the takeoff distance. The tall, wet grass on the runway was a factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF AT A PRIVATE FIELD ON AN 1,800 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY SURFACE CONSISTED OF WET GRASS ABOUT SIX INCHES TALL. HE SAID HE CALCULATED THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE ON A GRASS RUNWAY TO BE 880 FEET. ABOUT THREE FOURTHS OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT FELT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT GOING TO BECOME AIRBORNE. HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-38 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1994 | Piper PA-38 | Sweet Home, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Kettleman City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | McCall, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Inman, Kansas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-38 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | D-Bar-D Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Gardner, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1994 | Beechcraft 19 | Ionia, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1994 | Hunsberger GLASAIR | Lapeer, Michigan, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1994 | Beechcraft K35 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | Richard J. van Lente | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1994 | Cessna T210M | Beaver Island, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 441 | Flint, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |