Piper PA-28-235 N9174W

Summary

On 19 August 2000 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N9174W was involved in an accident near MacKinac Island, 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.

Date

19 August 2000 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

MacKinac Island, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

MacKinac Island Airport (MCD)

Coordinates

45.8509, -84.6193

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N9174W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI00LA264

Nobody was injured.

the pilot not maintaining aircraft control in response to the uncommanded roll, and the excessive descent to the runway resulting in the hard landing. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's attempted recovery from the uncommanded roll, the high crosswind, the pilot's recovery from the bounced landing, and his inadequate preflight planning in preparing for the wind conditions at the airport.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said his flight was uneventful until the final approach to landing on runway 08 at the Mackinac Island, Michigan, Airport (MCD). The airport winds were reported as 3-4 knots from the north. "Over the threshold, the left wing [of the airplane] went up to approximately 35-40 degrees." The pilot said that he was able to "stabilize the aircraft just prior to touchdown. The initial landing was hard, and the plane porpoised prior to the second touchdown." The pilot said the airplane then veered to the left. "The plane continued on to the grassy area on the left side of the runway and the nose gear collapsed." Following the accident, the pilot observed a large American flag, south of the runway, "standing straight out (north to south)." An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Nine minutes prior to the accident, the automated weather observation system at the airport reported clear skies, 10 miles visibility, winds 360 degrees at 6 knots, temperature 65 degrees F, dew point 35 degrees F, and altimeter 30.27 inches of Mercury. Six minutes prior to the accident, the Automated Surface Observation System at Alpina, Michigan, 66 miles from MCD at 140 degrees, reported clear skies, 10 miles visibility, winds 320 degrees at 11 knots, gusts to 18 knots, temperature 65 degrees F, dew point 37 degrees F, and altimeter 30.26 inches of Mercury. The Airport/Facilities Directory for the Mackinac Island Airport, states in the remarks section, "AWOS-3 winds unreliable due to trees north of the runway."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.