# NTSB CEN25LA357: Piper PA-24-250, N7412P, Gregory, MI, August 28, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: August 28, 2025, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place: Gregory, MI
- Coordinates: 42.442083, -84.064361
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4421&lon=-84.0644&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA - East Michigan FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200924
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA357
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200924/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA357

## Preliminary report

On August 28, 2025, at about 1550 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N7412P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gregory, Michigan. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he and the airplane owner flew the airplane from the Toledo Suburban Airport (DUH), Lambertville, Michigan, to the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX), Charlevoix, Michigan, where he dropped off the airplane owner. He then re-boarded the airplane to return to DUH alone. He reported that the flight from DUH to CVX was uneventful, as was the flight from CVX toward DUH, until about 1:20 into the flight. At this time the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot was in communication with air traffic control (ATC) and reported the power loss. The controller provided the pilot with options for nearby airports and the pilot elected to attempt a landing at the Richmond Field Airport (69G), near Gregory, Michigan. The airplane came to rest in a field just south of 69G and a post-impact fire ensued which consumed the cabin portion of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed extensive fire damage. Initially the engine could not be rotated; however, after removal of the fire damaged accessories and accessory housing on the back of the engine, the remainder of the engine was free to rotate. Thumb compression was verified on all cylinder and valve continuity was verified. All of the accessory case gears were intact. The engine still had an unknown amount of oil that drained out of the broken crankcase during the examination. Examination of the accessory case components revealed that the vacuum pump drive shaft, the tachometer drive shaft, and the oil pump drive shaft were seized in their bores. Disassembly of the accessory case components did not reveal any anomalies and the seizures were consistent with the fire damage. The rear mounted magnetos were extensively damaged by the postimpact fire and were unable to be tested.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7412P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7412P), registered now, S/N 24-2600, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250
- Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-2600
- Year built: 1961
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Espyess Aviation LLC
- Registered owner: Espyess Aviation LLC
- Departed: CVX, Charlevoix, MI
- Destination: DUH, Lamberville, MI
- Airport: 69G, Richmond Fld

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: KOZW, 12 nm away
- METAR: METAR KOZW 281955Z AUTO 30007KT 10SM SCT029 BKN036 OVC048 22/14 A3001 RMK AO2=

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250828018339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250828018339A), Aug 28, 2025: Piper PA-24-250, Gregory, MI, Substantial damage. Pilot stated that the aircraft developed a sudden rapid loss of power without prior roughness. The engine quit, and three restarts were attempted. The aircraft…

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.

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