Piper PA-28-181 accident near Lake Michigan, WI
On April 26, 2005, a Piper PA-28-181 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lake Michigan, WI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 26, 2005
- Place
- Lake Michigan, WI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.269°N, 89.618°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050428X00522
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 25, 2005, at 2343 central daylight time (CDT), a Piper PA-28-181, N5360F, piloted by a private pilot, ditched into Lake Michigan about 6.3 nautical miles (nm) east of the lakeshore near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The airplane had experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight over Lake Michigan. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The pilot survived the ditching and is presumed drowned. The cross-country flight departed from Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG), Niagara Falls, New York, around 2033 eastern daylight time, and was en route to Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Madison, Wisconsin. Unless specified, all additional times will be referenced to eastern daylight time. According to employees of a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) located at IAG, the accident airplane arrived on their ramp around 2000. The pilot requested that the airplane be "topped off" with fuel. The airplane was serviced with 40.4 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel. The line technician who serviced the airplane spoke to the pilot about his proposed route of flight and if he intended to "refuel at Muskegon, Michigan." The pilot reportedly said that he did not plan to refuel at Muskegon because "the cloud bases were projected to be at 4,000 feet with rain." The pilot was not instrument rated. The pilot stated that his route of flight would be direct to MSN, which would take him over Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The
Probable cause
The pilot's inaccurate preflight planning and his delayed en route decision to make a fuel stop, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and subsequent ditching.
More accidents in WI
- Douglas DC-9-14, Sep 6, 1985
- Beech 200, Nov 16, 1987
- Piper PA-28-140, Feb 3, 1991
- Piper PA-32R-300, Aug 19, 1990
- Cessna 421C, Jul 1, 2017
Browse: Wisconsin · 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.
