# Accident 20180711011189A: Piper PA-28-235, Saint Ignace, MI, July 11, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2018, 12:00 local time
- Place: Saint Ignace, MI
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.8872° N, 84.7317° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of St. Ignace, MI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8872&lon=-84.7317&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9399W (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-235
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 275 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180711011189A

## Narrative

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

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-235, N9399W, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TREES 4.2 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE SAINT IGNACE/MACKINAC COUNTY AIRPORT (83D), SAINT IGNACE, MICHIGAN. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN.  THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE BOTH FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE DRUMMOND ISLAND AIRPORT (DRM), DRUMMOND ISLAND, MICHIGAN AND WAS ENROUTE TO THE LIVINGSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (OZW) HOWELL, MICHIGAN.

ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE OVERDUE, AN EXTENSIVE GROUND AND AIR SEARCH WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE US COAST GUARD, CIVIL AIR PATROL, AND A NUMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS. AFTER AN EXTENDED LENGTH OF TIME, ALL SEARCHES WERE OFFICIALLY CALLED OFF, WITH NO TRACE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING FOUND. ON JULY 11, 2018, THE WRECKAGE OF N9399W WAS LOCATED IN THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST BY AN INDIVIDUAL CONDUCTING A LUMBER SURVEY. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND THE SCENE SECURED. ON AUGUST 7, 2018, THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A NUMBER OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCIES IN ATTENDANCE. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ACCESSED BY TRAIL CUT THROUGH THE HEAVY FOLIAGE BY FOREST SERVICE PERSONNEL.

THE HEAVILY FRAGMENTED AIRCRAFT HAD COME TO REST UPRIGHT ON A 030 DEGREE HEADING. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND WITHIN THE IMPACT SITE. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND UNDER 8-10 INCHES OF DECAYING FOREST DEBRIS DETACHED FROM THE FIREWALL WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND ACCESSORY CASE. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND STILL ATTACHED TO THE CRANKSHAFT IN A FEATHERED POSITION, BOTH BLADES EXHIBITED LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AND ?S? CURVE BENDING INDICATIVE OF BEING UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE MAIN FUSELAGE WAS CRUSHED WITH THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT TOTALLY COMPRESSED AND THE PANEL HIGHLY FRAGMENTED. RECOVERED ESI AND VOR HEADS WERE HIGHLY DAMAGED BUT WERE BOTH SET TO 090 DEGREES. THE ALTIMETER, WHILE ALSO BEING HIGHLY DAMAGED, WAS SET TO 1020 WITH THE SHORT NEEDLE INDICATING 2800 FEET (WRECKAGE LOCATION IS 642 FEET MSL). ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTATION WAS DESTROYED. BOTH FRONT SEAT LAP BELTS WERE FOUND HIGHLY DAMAGED BUT SHOWED SIGNS OF BEING LATCHED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. BOTH FRONT SEATS WERE CRUSHED AND DISPLACED UNDER THE PANEL AND BURIED UNDER THE COLLAPSED REAR SEAT AND EQUIPMENT STOWED IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. BOTH WINGS WERE DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND FRAGMENTED. THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS SHOWED NUMERUS IMPACT POINTS. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE FUSELAGE WITH ALL CABLES EXHIBITING BROOM-STRAW SIGNATURES AT ALL FAILURE POINTS. THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND RUDDER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE WITH CONTROL CONTINUITY CONFIRMED AS FAR FORWARD AS THE REAR BAGGAGE AREA. A NUMBER OF ?TOPPED? TREES, SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPACT DAMAGE WERE FOUND AFT OF THE IMPACT CRATER AND MAIN WRECKAGE SITE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A POST-CRASH FIRE.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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