Piper PA-28-181 N4385M
19 March 1995 · Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 19 March 1995 at about 20:02 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4385M was involved in an accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. 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 20:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.2595, -83.8500
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181
- Registration
- N4385M
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI95LA104
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
the failure of the mechanic to close the drain valve after changing oil, resulting in complete loss of engine oil. A factor was the soft terrain, which resulted in the nose wheel digging in and the airplane nosing over.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
TEN MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SEIZE, THE PILOT PULLED MIXTURE TO IDLE-CUTOFF, AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. THE NOSE WHEEL DUG INTO THE SOFT GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE OIL DRAIN VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION, WITH FRESH OIL ON THE AIRPLANE. THE MECHANIC STATED HE HAD PLACED A PAPER PLUG IN THE DRAIN TO PREVENT DRIPS, AND FAILED TO CLOSE THE VALVE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 1995 | Piper PA-28-161 | Rutland, Vermont, United States | Pierre Gourinchas | No injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 1995 | Piper PA-28-180 | Warwick, New York, United States | Theodore LEB | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28-181 | Palm Springs, California, United States | Alan L. Kaplan | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1995 | Piper PA-28-140 | Bolivar, Tennessee, United States | Alec S. Bari | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-28-140 | Colorado Spgs, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-28-161 | Carmel Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb 1995 | Cessna 172 | Holland, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1995 | Cessna 150A | Grant, Michigan, United States | Harry Sutliffe | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1995 | Cessna 152 | Owosso, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1995 | Cessna 150 | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1995 | Cessna 172 | Alma, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1995 | Beechcraft 58 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |