- Date
- August 12, 1984, 11:55 local (15:55 UTC)
- Place
- Alpena, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N98967Piper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840812039779A
- Case key
- 12420
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
Witnesses stated that the acft flew at a very low altitude over the lake performing what appeared to be a series of stalls and recoveries with the acft climbing steeply to aprx 150 ft above the lake and then dropping sharply back down within a few feet of the water. Witnesses observed the acft pull up abruptly as it reached the south shoreline where a forest of trees were grown to aprx 100 ft. witnesses stated that the acft appeared to stall and roll sharply to the left, descending into the trees. There was no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure of the acft structure, flt controls, eng or prop prior to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98967
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-322
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard F. Merritt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 1983
- Departed
- APN · Alpena, 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APN, 15 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.
Other investigations on N98967 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.