- Date
- May 20, 1990, 18:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- East Lansing, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N24PTPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900520016589A
- Case key
- 14531
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
The failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control while flying in clouds during an instrument approach. Factors were: instrument meteorological conditions, self-induced pressure, operation with known deficiencies in equipment, and anxiety/apprehension.
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
The airplane crashed while being vectored for an asr approach. The reason for the flight was to deliver the airplane for electrical system maintenance. IMC prevailed. After checking weather three times the pilot telephoned the radar approach control and requested a svfr clearance stating that he would be making the flight on battery power. After takeoff the pilot was issued a clearance. After an inflight advisory that weather conditions were not favorable for svfr he requested an IFR clearance and was assigned vectors for an ILS approach. During the approach the pilot stated that he was having instrument problems and was concerned that he would lose communicatons capability. The controller lost contact with the pilot after starting a no-gyro asr approach. No defects were discovered during disassembly of the vacuum pumps, or the vacuum and electrically driven flight instruments. Light bulbs in the instrument panel showed filament stretching.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24PT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2890075
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- J. J. Tiefenthaler
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- 09G · Mason, MI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- LAN · Capital 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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 643 total · 370 in this make and model · 523 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAN, 5 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.