Piper PA 23 accident near Beaver Island, MI
On December 31, 2018, a Piper PA 23 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Beaver Island, MI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 31, 2018
- Place
- Beaver Island, MI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 23 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.685°N, 85.574°W
- NTSB ID
- 20181231X45242
Official records · CEN19LA051
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 30, 2018, about 1948 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-23 airplane, N2146P, impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Beaver Island Airport (SJX), Beaver Island, Michigan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Dark night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for the Fitch H. Beach Airport (FPK), Charlotte, Michigan. Due to the government furlough, neither the National Transportation Safety Board, nor the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site. The on-scene documentation for this accident was conducted by the Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department. A witness reported hearing the airplane for about 10 minutes before the sound of the engines increased dramatically. He added, "it was very loud." After taking off, the airplane seemed to turn to the right (north). Shortly afterward, the sound changed to a lower pitch similar to when a pilot adjusts the pitch of the propellers; then it went silent; although, he did not recall hearing the impact. A second witness noted that the airplane was "real loud." She subsequently drove past the airport and observed the airplane which appeared to be taking off to the west. Nothing seemed unusual during the time she saw it. She did not witness the accident and only heard about it later that evening. A third witness reported hearing the "distinct soun
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a positive rate of climb after takeoff which resulted in an impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to see a visible horizon due to the dark night lighting conditions and limited ground lights in the vicinity of the airport.
More accidents in MI
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, Aug 17, 1987
- Embraer EMB-120RT, Jan 9, 1997
- Beech 65-A90, Jul 31, 1999
- Casa C-212-CC, Mar 4, 1987
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Dec 3, 1990
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.
