What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N March 21, 2012, at 1918 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-150 airplane, N2389P, wassubstantially damaged while landing at Gross Airport (52I), Pinconning, Michigan. The pilotsustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual,under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 without a flight plan. Day visualmeteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The flight departed james clementsmunicipal airport (3CM), bay city, Michigan, about 1900.according to the airport manager, who also witnessed the accident, the pilot stated that the glareof the setting sun obscured his vision during his initial approach to runway 27 (2,565 feet by 100FEET, grass/turf) and he elected to perform a go-around. While maneuvering in the traffic pattern,the pilot reportedly put-on his sunglasses and installed a windshield sun-screen in an attempt toreduce the glare of the sun. During the next landing approach, the airplane collided with a treeand a north/south power line located about 75 yards north of the runway edge. The wreckage debrispath was consistent with the airplane traveling westbound when it collided with the obstacles. At 1914, the automated surface observing system located at jack barstow airport (kikw), locatedabout 18 miles southwest of the accident site, reported the following weather conditions: wind 220DEGREES at 6 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 8,000 feet above ground level;temperature 29 degrees celsius; dew point 10 degrees celsius; altimeter setting 30.06 inches ofmercury. Astronomical data obtained from the united states naval observatory indicated that the local sunsetwas at 1950, about 32 minutes after the accident. The end of civil twilight was listed at 2019.
As the FAA filed it
N MARCH 21, 2012, AT 1918 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-22-150 AIRPLANE, N2389P, WASSUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT GROSS AIRPORT (52I), PINCONNING, MICHIGAN. THE PILOTSUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL,UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. DAY VISUALMETEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JAMES CLEMENTSMUNICIPAL AIRPORT (3CM), BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ABOUT 1900.ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER, WHO ALSO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE GLAREOF THE SETTING SUN OBSCURED HIS VISION DURING HIS INITIAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27 (2,565 FEET BY 100FEET, GRASS/TURF) AND HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN,THE PILOT REPORTEDLY PUT-ON HIS SUNGLASSES AND INSTALLED A WINDSHIELD SUN-SCREEN IN AN ATTEMPT TOREDUCE THE GLARE OF THE SUN. DURING THE NEXT LANDING APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREEAND A NORTH/SOUTH POWER LINE LOCATED ABOUT 75 YARDS NORTH OF THE RUNWAY EDGE. THE WRECKAGE DEBRISPATH WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRPLANE TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE OBSTACLES.AT 1914, THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM LOCATED AT JACK BARSTOW AIRPORT (KIKW), LOCATEDABOUT 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE FOLLOWING WEATHER CONDITIONS: WIND 220DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 8,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL;TEMPERATURE 29 DEGREES CELSIUS; DEW POINT 10 DEGREES CELSIUS; ALTIMETER SETTING 30.06 INCHES OFMERCURY.ASTRONOMICAL DATA OBTAINED FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY INDICATED THAT THE LOCAL SUNSETWAS AT 1950, ABOUT 32 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT WAS LISTED AT 2019.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.