- Date
- September 8, 1992, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3743PPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920908035579A
- Case key
- 15541
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
Inadequate visual lookout by the pilot in command during final approach. A factor in the accident was the sunglare.
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 accident airplane collided with terrain after striking electrical power transmission wires during final approach to an airport. A pilot who landed just before the accident airplane reported the runway was difficult to see because of sunglare. In a telephone conversation the accident pilot stated he did not remember the accident but does remember the sun being in his eyes during the approach. The airport operator saw the accident and was the first person to reach the airplane after impact. The pilot asked the operator what he had hit. The operator told the pilot he had struck wires. The pilot indicated he did not know the powerlines were there.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3743P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3463
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jeffery T. Horkey
- Registered owner
- Jeffery T. Horkey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 1900
- Departed
- 88G
- Airport
- 88G · Gradolph, runway 27, 2,380 × 110 ft, grass/turf
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 334 total · 140 in this make and model · 188 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARB, 20 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 N3743P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.