Piper PA-23-250 accident near Ironwood, MI
On December 28, 2004, a Piper PA-23-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ironwood, MI. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 28, 2004
- Place
- Ironwood, MI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.521°N, 90.128°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050104X00012
Official records · CHI05FA049
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- FAA ATC Transcript-MSP Control: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Summary of ATC Contacts with Accident Aircraft/Pilot: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 28, 2004, at 1135 central standard time, a Piper PA-23-250 (Aztec), N5398M, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD), Ironwood, Michigan. The pilot had reported an engine problem about 20 minutes before the accident while en route to IWD. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan until the pilot canceled IFR on approach to IWD and proceeded under visual flight rules (VFR). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at IWD. The pilot and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed Menominee-Marinette Twin County Airport (MNM), Menominee, Michigan, about 1010. An individual representing the accident aircraft contacted Green Bay Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at 0814 and obtained a pre-flight weather briefing from MNM to IWD. The pilot called Green Bay AFSS again at 0903 and requested an updated weather briefing. At the conclusion of that briefing the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from MNM to IWD. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided transcripts of air traffic control (ATC) transmissions with the accident aircraft and radar track data for the flight. Radar track data was processed and plotted by the NTSB. The transcripts and plot of the radar track data are included with the docket information associated with the accident file. The pilot established contact with Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC)
Probable cause
Fatigue fracture of an engine cylinder resulting in a loss of power on the left engine. Additional causes were the pilot's failure to maintain minimum control airspeed (Vmc), the resulting loss of aircraft control, and an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to feather the propeller on the failed engine and his decision to turn toward the inoperative engine during
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Browse: Michigan · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
