- Date
- December 20, 2006, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cheyboygan, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5811DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Grand Rapids, MI FSDO
- FAA report
- 20061220029329A
- Case key
- 65165
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the soft terrain encountered during the lanidng.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane encountered soft terrain during an off airport forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that while climbing, shortly after takeoff, he switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank. He stated that approximately three minutes later the engine lost power. The pilot stated he switched back to the left fuel tank, checked the magnetos, and switched on the carburetor heat, but was unable to regain power. He reported he made a turn back toward the airport to land. The airplane touched down in soft terrain approximately 300 feet short of the approach end of runway. The airport manager stated the airplane bounced, weathervaned and landed sideways which resulted in the right main gear collapsing and the nose gear buckling. The right wing and propeller contacted the ground as the airplane slid. Post accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
The airplane encountered soft terrain during an off airport forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that while climbing, shortly after takeoff, he switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank. He stated that approximately three minutes later the engine lost power. The pilot stated he switched back to the left fuel tank, checked the magnetos, and switched on the carburetor heat, but was unable to regain power. He reported he made a turn back toward the airport to land. The airplane touched down in soft terrain approximately 300 feet short of the approach end of runway. The airport manager stated the airplane bounced, weathervaned and landed sideways which resulted in the right main gear collapsing and the nose gear buckling. The right wing and propeller contacted the ground as the airplane slid. Post accident inspection of the airplane and engine by inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration, Grand Rapids, Michigan Flight Standards District Office failed to reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5811D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 252-4486
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregg H. Dickerson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SLH · Cheboygan, MI
- Destination
- 6YI · Pointe Aux Pins, MI
- Airport
- SLH · Cheboygan County, runway 09
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,306 total · 34 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.