# Accident 20181230021789A: Piper PA-23, Beaver Island, MI, December 30, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 30, 2018, 19:48 local time
- Place: Beaver Island, MI
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6847° N, 85.5744° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6847&lon=-85.5744&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2146P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2146P-2020-07-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23 (registry code 7102302, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,480 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN19LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA051) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181230021789A

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:48 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PA-23-180 AIRCRAFT, N2146P, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX) ON BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN. MARGINAL VISUAL 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 AN ACTIVE FLIGHT PLAN.  THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 27 AT THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX), APPROXIMATELY 7:48 PM LOCAL.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SCENE SHOW THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN IN A STEEP DESCENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN A SIGNIFICANT RIGHT ANGLE OF BANK, AS PHOTOS DEPICT THE AIRCRAFT HEADING PASSED BETWEEN TWO LARGE, UNDAMAGED TREES APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET APART. THE RIGHT WING APPEARS TO HAVE FIRST IMPACTED THE SURFACE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE RIGHT ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET BEYOND THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF FIRST IMPACT WITH TREES TO THE PRIMARY WRECKAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET LONG.

THERE WERE NO REPORTED EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, SHERIFF DEPUTIES OBTAINED STATEMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HEARD THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF AND CRASH. ONE WITNESS STATEMENT INDICATES BOTH THE PRE-TAKEOFF ENGINE RUN UP AND TAKEOFF SOUNDED NORMAL, BUT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE WITNESS NOTED A CHANGE IN THE ENGINE?S PITCH. THE WITNESS LIKENED THE SOUND TO AN INCREASE IN POWER, SIMILAR TO SOUNDS TYPICAL DURING PRE-TAKEOFF ENGINE CHECKS.

THE WEATHER REPORT AT KSJX AIRPORT AT 0055Z WAS: WIND 240 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CEILING BROKEN AT 2,500 FEET AND OVERCAST AT 3,000 FEET, TEMP -01, DEW POINT -03, AND ALTIMETER 2992.

AS OF THIS DATE, NO PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THIS ACCIDENT HAS BEEN FOUND.

## 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 CEN19LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA051), Dec 31, 2018: Piper PA 23 (N2146P), Beaver Island, MI, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain a positive rate of climb after takeoff which resulted in an impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to see a visible…

## Other reports on N2146P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19890326024079I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890326024079I), Mar 26, 1989: Piper PA23 (N2146P), Limington, ME, Minor damage. Veered off runway when nose gear touched down.

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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