- Date
- September 2, 2019, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Mackinac Island, MI
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31934Piper PA32RT
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190902016469A
- Case key
- 100186
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a runway light.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane encountered a sudden crosswind and drifted left. The airplane bounced on touchdown and then veered left, exited the runway, impacted a runway light, traveled through a ditch, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 360° at 11 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 26.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane encountered a sudden crosswind and drifted left. The airplane bounced on touchdown and veered left, exited the runway, impacted a runway light, traveled through a ditch, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 360° at 11 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 26.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31934
- Reported as
- Piper PA32RT (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7885143
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 7,248.1
- Engine
- Lycoming, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West Michigan Flying Club
- Registered owner
- West Michigan Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 2019
- Departed
- MKG · Muskegon, MI
- Destination
- MCD · Mackinac Island, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MCD · Mackinac Island, runway 26, 3,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 13, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 147.5 total · 18 in this make and model · 78.3 as pilot in command · 2.2 in the last 90 days · 2.2 in the last 30 days · 1.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KMCD
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 843 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.