# Accident 20121121027679A: Piper PA-28-180, Hillsdale, MI, November 21, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 21, 2012, 18:20 local time
- Place: Hillsdale, MI
- Airport: Hillsdale Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.9172° N, 84.5592° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9172&lon=-84.5592&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40781, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40781-2013-04-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 765 total, 38 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN13FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA067) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121121027679A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

INSPECTOR'S ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SCENE ON NOVEMBER 21, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA LYING ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE SECTION WERE PRIMARILY INTACT WITH THE LEFT WING LYING SEVERED FROM, BUT LYING UNDER THE AFT FUSELAGE. GOOGLE EARTH IMAGES SHOWED THE ACCIDENT SITE TO BE APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILES EAST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28 EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR HILLSDALE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KJYM).FUEL ODOR WAS PREVALENT ON THE GROUND UNDER THE LEFT WING. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON SCENE CONFIRMED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL AT THE SCENE EARLIER THAT EVENING. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED IN SEVERAL SECTIONS AND FUEL COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED. REVIEW OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS SHOWED THE CLOCK WORKING, THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON INDICATING THE APPROXIMATE ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT POSITION AND THE ALTIMETER READING 1400' MSL WITH A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 30.38" SET IN THE ALTIMETER KOLLSMAN WINDOW. COM # 1 WAS TUNED TO KJYM UNICOM FREQUENCY OF 122.8. THE #2 COM WAS TUNED TO KJYM AWOS FREQUENCY OF 121.02.THE METAR FOR KJYM AT 2314 LOCAL INDICATED THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE TO BE 30.17".  INSPECTOR'S RETURNED TO THE SCENE ON NOVEMBER 23, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 LOCAL. THE ALTITUDE AT THE SCENE WAS DETERMINED TO BE 1198' MSL. AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 LOCAL, THE ALTIMETER WAS READING 1700' MSL WITH A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 30.38" STILL SET IN THE KOLLSMAN WINDOW. THE ACTUAL ALTIMETER SETTING FOR KJYM AT APPROXIMATELY NOON WAS 29.81".  THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE SCENE AND RELOCATED TO THE LENAWEE COUNTY AIRPORT (ADG) ON NOVEMBER 23, 2012. ON NOVEMBER 24, 2012, THE ALTIMETER  WAS SET TO THE CURRENT AWOS BAROMETRIC SETTING FOR ADG AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 LOCAL. THE ALTIMETER INDICATED 820' MSL. THE PUBLISHED FIELD ELEVATION AT ADG IS 798'.A REVIEW OF THE PIC'S PILOT LOGBOOK SHOWED HE HAD A TOTAL OF 16.4 NIGHTTIME HOURS LOGGED. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT ON NOVEMBER 21, 2012, RUNWAY 28 AY KJYM THE PAPI WAS NOTAM'D OUT OF SERVICE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN13FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA067), Nov 21, 2012: Piper PA-28-180 (N40781), Hillsdale, MI, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a straight-in night visual flight rules approach to land in hazy weather conditions. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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