- Date
- October 7, 1989, 12:01 local (16:01 UTC)
- Place
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9704JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891007039199A
- Case key
- 14512
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the aircraft.
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
According to witnesses, the acft was in the traffic pattern on a turn from downwind to base, when it suddenly descended into the ground & crashed. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found. An exam of the stall warning light bulb revealed the filament had stretched.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9704J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3894
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David B. Estep
- Departed
- 3HA · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- ARB
- Airport
- ARB · Ann Arbor, runway 24, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARB
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 N9704J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.