Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Holly, Michigan 48442
Tuesady, March 7, 2006 16:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane contacted a guard rail and a ditch during a forced landing on an interstate highway following a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported he initially flew past his intended destination airport and was turning back to the airport when loss of power occurred. He stated they were at 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl) when the engine started to sputter intermittently. He reported that he immediately checked the engine gauges which looked normal, and he switched fuel tanks. The pilot reported that upon reaching an altitude of about 2,000 msl, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot reported he applied carburetor heat and since he had the mixture leaned, he moved the mixture control to full rich. The pilot stated that he attempted to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot reported his choices of a place to land included a small field, a gravel pit, or the highway. He chose the highway. He reported that he intentionally kept his speed between 75 and 80 miles per hour during the landing to match the speed of the traffic on the highway. The pilot reported that during the landing the airplane bounced and contacted a guard rail. The airplane then spun around and contacted a ditch prior to coming to rest. Following the accident the airplane was secured on a flat bed trailer and an engine test run was conducted using an alternate fuel supply. The engine started and ran smooth up to 1,900 rpm. No mechanical failure/malfunction was found which would have resulted in the loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons. Factors associated with the accident were the guard rail and the ditch which the airplane contacted during the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Holly |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48442 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 423955N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0832507W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PTK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19727 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 7 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Detroit, MI FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7810N |
| NTSB Number | CHI06CA098 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-5261 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Lakefield Flyers Limited |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Coldwater |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45828 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Mark U. Heinl |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Coldwater |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 45828 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CQA |
| Departure City | Celina |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | Y47 |
| Destination City | New Hudson |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 22 2006 2:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |