Piper PA-28-181 N30561

Summary

On 16 August 1998 at about 06:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N30561 was involved in an accident near Michigan City, Indiana, 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

16 August 1998 at 06:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Michigan City, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Michigan City Airport (MGC)

Coordinates

41.7094, -86.8702

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N30561

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Gary

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI98LA324

Nobody was injured.

the pilot departed into known adverse weather and failed to maintain directional control of the airplane. A factor was the fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he had cancelled his IFR flight plan from St. Louis, Missouri, to Gary, Indiana, and proceeded to Michigan City, Indiana, using flight following. The pilot reported he landed at Michigan City at 0330 in light ground fog. He reported that the ground fog was 'no problem.' He reported, 'Upon departing 02, the fog suddenly obscured the runway. I proceeded to cut the power and came to rest in a field adjacent to the runway.' The 0253 EDT weather at Benton Harbor, Michigan, 31 nautical miles to the northeast, was reporting the temperature as 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Dew Point was 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The 0254 EDT weather at South Bend, Indiana, 22 nautical miles to the east, was reporting the temperature as 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Dew Point was 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.