- Date
- September 22, 1987, 08:26 local (12:26 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsdale, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8799EPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870922081079A
- Case key
- 13830
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
Tkof and climb to 7000 ft were made on the left fuel tank. Shortly after lvl-off, the plt switched to the rt tank and stayed on it during the initial cruise. The plt then switched back to left tank and abt 10 min later the eng began to lose pwr. Readings were normal. The plt contacted cleveland ctr, declared an emergency, switched to 7700 on the transponder, set up a descent, and received instructions to the nearest arpt. The acft descended into undercast and struck the tops of trees with its left wing. It then rolled left, struck the grd and came to rest inverted. No evidence was found in the exam of the eng or fuel system that would explain the partial loss of pwr.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8799E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7680179
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Prompt Air, Inc., doing business as Prompt Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bill Wall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1987 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- DET · Detroit, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 13 in this make and model · 1,900 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JXN, 7 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.