Piper PA-24-180 N6345P
25 October 1992 · Ludington, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 October 1992 at about 01:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-180 registered N6345P, operated by Zeeland Aero Club, Inc., was involved in an accident near Ludington, Michigan, United States. 4 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 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ludington, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Mason County (LDM)
- Coordinates
- 43.9493, -86.4401
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180
- Registration
- N6345P
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Zeeland Aero Club, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Zeeland
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- CHI93LA016
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT ON A NIGHT FLIGHT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT STATED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE '...LOST THE ABILITY TO CLIMB/MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.' EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO THE TREE TOPS. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT PROPELLER ASSEMBLY FAILURE. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THE TOP PISTON RING IN THE #1 CYLINDER WAS BROKEN, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF SCORING ON THE CYLINDER WALL. THE RIGHT MAGNETO OPERATION WAS INTERMITTENT, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER RPM SETTINGS. THE ENGINE TOTAL TIME WAS 3,169.9 HOURS, AND TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL WAS 2,064.5 HOURS. THE AIRPLANE HAD OPERATED 2.4 HOURS SINCE THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-24 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec 1992 | Piper PA-24-180 | Gaylord, Michigan, United States | John C Myers & Clare R Colwell | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Mar 1992 | Piper PA-24-180 | Longmont, Colorado, United States | Pete Peters | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-24-260 | Opa Locka, Florida, United States | Joseph A. Kreutle | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1992 | Piper PA-24-180 | Moontown, Alabama, United States | Akins, Robert D. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Nov 1992 | Piper PA-24 | Rialto, California, United States | Kinney, Elmer L. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1992 | Piper PA-24-250 | Brooksville, Florida, United States | Stone, Steve L. | No injuries | - |
All 2,700 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1992 | Piper PA-32RT-300T | Pullman, Michigan, United States | Weber, Tracy T. | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Feb 1992 | Beechcraft 95-BE55 | Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States | Stanley P. MacKlin | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Jul 1992 | Cessna 172N | Lake Michigan, Michigan, United States | Battle Creek Air Service, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Sep 1992 | Cessna 150H | Manistee, Michigan, United States | H. Paul Miller | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Jan 1992 | Aerospatiale AS-355F1 | Lansing, Michigan, United States | Corporate Jets Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 1992 | Piper PA-22-160 | West Branch, Michigan, United States | Schultz, Ronald L. | No injuries | - |