- Date
- September 2, 1982, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomfield Hill, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6544HPiper J-3C65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820902046709A
- Case key
- 69981
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
Takeoff was from se end of a lake about 4,000 ft long (se to nw) with a small island in the center. The plt stated that after lift-off he obtained climb speed but the acft would not climb from about 20-30 ft above the water. Severe turbulence was encountered & the acft drifted into the trees on the island. The plt indicated that a takeoff to the eastof the island would have been more advantageous, but a boat was located between the island & the eastern shore of the lake. The acft was about 20 lbs under max gross weight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6544H
- Reported as
- Piper J-3C65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19736
- Airframe hours
- 2,900
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William C. Gnegy Jr.
- Registered owner
- William C. Gnegy Jr.
- Departed
- Bloomfield Hill, MI
- Destination
- Bloomfield Hill, MI
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,186 total · 485 in this make and model · 1,145 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 176 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6544H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.