- Date
- April 20, 1990, 14:48 local (18:48 UTC)
- Place
- Charlevoix, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N8333YPiper PA-30B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900420010429A
- Case key
- 14557
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 probable cause of this accident is undetermined.
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
Aircraft departed Charlevoix, Michigan, with an intended destination of beaver island, Michigan. When the aircraft was overdue at its intended destination, the coast guard was notified, and an air and surface search of lake Michigan was initiated along the intended flight path. The coast guard located a debris field containing aircraft parts, personal effects, and a female body. The body of the pilot, and the major portion of the aircraft wreckage was not recovered. The weather conditions at the time were marginal VMC over the Michigan land mass, and IMC over the lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8333Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1478
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul P. Eddy
- Registered owner
- Paul P Eddy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CVX · Charlevoix, MI
- Destination
- 6Y8 · St. James, 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
- 74
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 27,870 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PLN, 24 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.