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20210102002689A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · New Hudson, MI · January 2, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 2, 2021 · 15:42 local
Place
New Hudson, MI
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8347P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN21LA104
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N8347PRegistration cancelled Sep 4, 2021 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-3604 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On January 2, at 1541 EST, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N8347P was destroyed when it was in an accident in New Hudson, Michigan. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a part 91 personal flight.

There was no record that the pilot obtained a weather briefing or filed a flight plan on the day of the accident. He departed cherokee county airport (cni), canton ga at 1221 and flew GPS direct at 7,500 feet, estimated to arrive at oakland southwest airport (Y47) at 1542. The pilot was not instrument rated.

At 1253 N8347P contacted knoxville-mcghee tyson airport tower (tys) and requested VFR flight following to Y47 airport.

N8347P continued his flight north bound with VFR flight following.

At 1452 N8347P contacts toledo approach (tol). N8347P then advises that they will have to convert to IFR to descend to Y47. The controller asks them to advise when they would like to go IFR.

At 1456 N8347P is asked if they are ready to go IFR and they respond in the affirmative. They are cleared direct Y47 at 7,000 feet and they read it back.

At 1513 N8347P is switched to detroit TRACON (terminal radar approach control) and issued detroit metro wayne county airport altimeter (dtw).

At 1515 N8347P ask for the vor-a approach into Y47. N8347P stated if they are not reporting weather, he will ?give it a shot?, and if he goes missed he will continue to pontiac (kptk) airport.

N8347P was cleared to descent to 4,000 feet then 3,000 feet.

At 1533 N8347P was instructed to fly heading to 020 to intercept the final approach course for the vor-a to Y47. The controller relayed a PIREP from an aircraft that just landed at willow run airport (yip). No ice reported though the layers, bases were 300 MSL. N8347P responded 300 MSL will not work for Y47.

At 1534 controller asked N8347P to say his intentions. N8347P responded with they will give Y47 a shot, hopefully it?s not down to 3 (300 foot ceiling). N8347P states if he goes missed he would stay with the controller, he does not see any traffic in the area, then go to pontiac (ptk). The controller responded ?I just want to clarify you said 300 MSL going in, not AGL going into willow?. N8347P responded ?got it, thank you?.

At 1535 N8347P is instructed to maintain 2700 feet until established on the final approach course and is cleared for the straight-in VOR or gps-a into Y47. N8347P responds he is going to 2700 hundred.

At 1538 N8347P is changed to Y47 airport advisory frequency and instructed to return to the approach frequency if he goes missed or cancel with the controller on the clearance and delivery frequency.

N8347P continued to descend to about 1,900 feet and passed over Y47. It then appeared to climb slightly before it entered two descending left had spiral turns at decreasing airspeed. Track data was lost about 1541 EST near the accident location, which was about ½ mile north of Y47. There was a post-impact fire that destroyed the airplane and damaged two houses one of them substantially. There were no ground injuries, but a cat inside the house was fatally injured.

The pilot had been cleared for vor-a or gps-a approach. The vor-a portion had a notamed (notice to airman) as unavailable. This notice was displayed on the information display system (ids) at the radar position.

A second NOTAM was in effect for Y47 instrument approach procedure VOR or gps-a. circling cat b minimum descent altitude (mda) 1600 feet/height above airport (haa) 674 feet.

Y47 airport does not have weather reporting. The approach plate indicates that the altimeter setting from willow run airport (kyip) is used.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 2, AT 1541 EST, A PIPER PA-24-250 AIRPLANE, N8347P WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN NEW HUDSON, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.

THERE WAS NO RECORD THAT THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING OR FILED A FLIGHT PLAN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. HE DEPARTED CHEROKEE COUNTY AIRPORT (CNI), CANTON GA AT 1221 AND FLEW GPS DIRECT AT 7,500 FEET, ESTIMATED TO ARRIVE AT OAKLAND SOUTHWEST AIRPORT (Y47) AT 1542. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

AT 1253 N8347P CONTACTED KNOXVILLE-MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT TOWER (TYS) AND REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO Y47 AIRPORT.

N8347P CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT NORTH BOUND WITH VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING.

AT 1452 N8347P CONTACTS TOLEDO APPROACH (TOL). N8347P THEN ADVISES THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO CONVERT TO IFR TO DESCEND TO Y47. THE CONTROLLER ASKS THEM TO ADVISE WHEN THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO IFR.

AT 1456 N8347P IS ASKED IF THEY ARE READY TO GO IFR AND THEY RESPOND IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THEY ARE CLEARED DIRECT Y47 AT 7,000 FEET AND THEY READ IT BACK.

AT 1513 N8347P IS SWITCHED TO DETROIT TRACON (TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL) AND ISSUED DETROIT METRO WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT ALTIMETER (DTW).

AT 1515 N8347P ASK FOR THE VOR-A APPROACH INTO Y47. N8347P STATED IF THEY ARE NOT REPORTING WEATHER, HE WILL ?GIVE IT A SHOT?, AND IF HE GOES MISSED HE WILL CONTINUE TO PONTIAC (KPTK) AIRPORT.

N8347P WAS CLEARED TO DESCENT TO 4,000 FEET THEN 3,000 FEET.

AT 1533 N8347P WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY HEADING TO 020 TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR THE VOR-A TO Y47. THE CONTROLLER RELAYED A PIREP FROM AN AIRCRAFT THAT JUST LANDED AT WILLOW RUN AIRPORT (YIP). NO ICE REPORTED THOUGH THE LAYERS, BASES WERE 300 MSL. N8347P RESPONDED 300 MSL WILL NOT WORK FOR Y47.

AT 1534 CONTROLLER ASKED N8347P TO SAY HIS INTENTIONS. N8347P RESPONDED WITH THEY WILL GIVE Y47 A SHOT, HOPEFULLY IT?S NOT DOWN TO 3 (300 FOOT CEILING). N8347P STATES IF HE GOES MISSED HE WOULD STAY WITH THE CONTROLLER, HE DOES NOT SEE ANY TRAFFIC IN THE AREA, THEN GO TO PONTIAC (PTK). THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED ?I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY YOU SAID 300 MSL GOING IN, NOT AGL GOING INTO WILLOW?. N8347P RESPONDED ?GOT IT, THANK YOU?.

AT 1535 N8347P IS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 2700 FEET UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND IS CLEARED FOR THE STRAIGHT-IN VOR OR GPS-A INTO Y47. N8347P RESPONDS HE IS GOING TO 2700 HUNDRED.

AT 1538 N8347P IS CHANGED TO Y47 AIRPORT ADVISORY FREQUENCY AND INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE APPROACH FREQUENCY IF HE GOES MISSED OR CANCEL WITH THE CONTROLLER ON THE CLEARANCE AND DELIVERY FREQUENCY.

N8347P CONTINUED TO DESCEND TO ABOUT 1,900 FEET AND PASSED OVER Y47. IT THEN APPEARED TO CLIMB SLIGHTLY BEFORE IT ENTERED TWO DESCENDING LEFT HAD SPIRAL TURNS AT DECREASING AIRSPEED. TRACK DATA WAS LOST ABOUT 1541 EST NEAR THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, WHICH WAS ABOUT ½ MILE NORTH OF Y47. THERE WAS A POST-IMPACT FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE AND DAMAGED TWO HOUSES ONE OF THEM SUBSTANTIALLY. THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES, BUT A CAT INSIDE THE HOUSE WAS FATALLY INJURED.

THE PILOT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR VOR-A OR GPS-A APPROACH. THE VOR-A PORTION HAD A NOTAMED (NOTICE TO AIRMAN) AS UNAVAILABLE. THIS NOTICE WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM (IDS) AT THE RADAR POSITION.

A SECOND NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT FOR Y47 INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE VOR OR GPS-A. CIRCLING CAT B MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) 1600 FEET/HEIGHT ABOVE AIRPORT (HAA) 674 FEET.

Y47 AIRPORT DOES NOT HAVE WEATHER REPORTING. THE APPROACH PLATE INDICATES THAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING FROM WILLOW RUN AIRPORT (KYIP) IS USED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN21LA104Accident · 3 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportNew Hudson, MIThe pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of an instrument rating and the low visibility at the time…Jan 2, 2021 · Destroyed

Other reports on N8347P · 3

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

Incident 20060408009709IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Jackson, MI(-23) After landing, aircraft veered left and struck a sign which damaged the left flap.Apr 8, 2006 · Minor damageIncident 19851105069319ILevel Off Touchdown · Mackinac Island, MILanded with gear partially extended. No mechanical malfunctions found except for inoperative gear warning horn.Nov 5, 1985 · Minor damageIncident 19830402020109IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Petersburg, MITaxiing for takeoff along edge of runway nose wheel sank into a collapsed culvert. Sod runway soft. Recent rain.Apr 2, 1983 · Minor damage