St. Clair County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Port Huron, Michigan 48060
Sunday, April 7, 1985 16:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER A PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCH, THE PLT (PIC) ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 23. WHILE IN THE PATTERN, THEAIR BECAME VERY TURBULENT. UNICOM REPORTED THE WIND WAS FROM 270 DEG AT 20 GUSTING 35 KTS. ON FINAL APCH WITH THE FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED, THE PLT INITIATED A GO-AROUND AT APRX 50 FT AGL & APPLIED POWER TO 36' MANIFOLD PRESSURE. HE STATED THATTHE AIRSPEED WAS APRX 110 KTS WHEN THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE VERTICAL DOWNWIND SHEAR, STRUCK THE GROUND APRX 10 FT WEST OF THE RWY, & HIT A RWY LIGHT. TWO WITNESSES NOTED THAT THE ACFT APPEARED SO SLOW ON FINAL APCH THAT THEY WENT TO THE UNICOM TO ADVISE THAT 'THE WINDS WERE NOW 290 DEG AT 25 GUSTING TO 35.' THEY SAID POWER WAS APPLIED & THE ACFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN. ALSO, A WITNESS REPORTED 'HEAVY' WX APRX 10 TO 15 MI WEST OF THE ARPT, MOVING EAST, & RAIN BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE FLT MANUAL NOTED: WHEN POWER IS ADVANCED FOR A GO-AROUND FROM A LOW POWER, FULL FLAP APPROACH, A NOSE DOWN PITCH WILL OCCUR WHICH MUST BE COUNTERED WITH AFT CONTROL INPUT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/7/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1630
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PORT HURON
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48060
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PHN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 649
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1700 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 235
Weather Observation Facility ID MTC
Elevation of weather observation facility 580
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1043
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 7 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2010
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28356
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2135A
NTSB Number CHI85LA155
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32RT-300T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32RT-30
Aircraft Serial Number 32-7987009
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 6
Airframe Hours 540
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TURNER AVIATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 24800 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY#200
Aircraft Owner City SOUTHFIELD
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 48075
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DET
Departure City DETROIT
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 5100
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --