- Date
- April 23, 2026, 18:24 local (22:24 UTC)
- Place
- Lapeer, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N44690Piper PA-28-151
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260423006189A
- Case key
- 202881
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain airplane control during a takeoff attempt, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, runway excursion, and on ground collision with an object. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s decision to continue the takeoff on a closed, unsuitable runway.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, and the student pilot, seated in the left seat, were conducting an instructional flight practicing soft field takeoffs and landings. The flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff roll while demonstrating a soft field takeoff on a turf runway, the airplane encountered rough terrain and was not accelerating as expected. Despite the reduced acceleration, the flight instructor continued the takeoff. Immediately after rotation, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and made abnormal contact with the turf runway. Following the abnormal runway contact, the airplane crossed an intersecting paved runway. The airplane subsequently became airborne again, aerodynamically stalled, and made abnormal contact with the turf runway a second time. The flight instructor reported that, at this point, he decided to abort the takeoff and began taking corrective actions; however, the airplane overran the runway environment, entered a parking lot, and struck an object, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The turf runway at Dupont/Lapeer Airport is Runway 09–27. According to the FAA Chart Supplement, Runway 09–27 is closed from November through April and when snow covered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44690
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7515006
- Built
- 1974
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- H&M Air LLC
- Registered owner
- H&M Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- FNT · Flint, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- D95 · Dupont Lapeer Airport, runway 27, 1,879 × 150 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 2, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 489 total · 34 in this make and model · 345 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 11 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.83 inHg
- Observed at
- D95
- METAR
- METAR KD95 232215Z AUTO 14008KT 10SM CLR 25/12 A2983 RMK AO2
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.