- Date
- February 6, 1982, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- East Lansing, MI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7644FPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820206002799A
- Case key
- 70543
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot initiated his takeoff on a snow covered, sod runway that had been plowed with a 50 ft wide strip. The plowed area had a snow base and there were four foot snow banks at the edges. Although the runway had been plowed on the previous night and it had not snowed. The wind had drifted loose snow overnight. During the takeoff roll, the pilot lost directional control when the left main gear hit a drift. The plane swerved to the left and struck the snowbank at the edge of the plowed strip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7644F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7790201
- Airframe hours
- 622
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William H. Cruse
- Registered owner
- William H. Cruse
- Departed
- 2D8 · East Lansing, MI
- Destination
- Lapeer, MI
- Airport
- 2D8 · Davis, runway 27, 2,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,960 total · 1,268 in this make and model · 2,003 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Observed at
- LAN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.