- Date
- January 1, 1984, 15:53 local (20:53 UTC)
- Place
- Traverse City, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3776TPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840101000089A
- Case key
- 12383
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
Prior to the flt, the plt made a phone call to a relative who lived near the southeast side of long lake & said he would 'pass over in about 10 min.' After he took off, the acft was observed in a low pass over the southeast corner of the lake. The acft then circled & began a 2nd low pass. On the 2nd pass, it descended lower, hit the snow covered, frozen lake, bounced & crashed. Witnesses said light snow was falling, but the visibility was good.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3776T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-30088
- Airframe hours
- 1,258
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ward E. Seeley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 1983 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Destination
- MBS · Saginaw, MI
- Airport
- TVC · Traverse City
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 260 total · 38 in this make and model · 2,102 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.