Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wm Tiny Zehnder Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Frankenmuth, Michigan 48734
Sunday, May 20, 2012 17:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The engine performed normally during a pre-takeoff engine run-up, and the pilot selected 25 degrees of flaps for the short-field/soft-field takeoff procedure. The airplane lifted off in the first half of the runway and stayed in ground effect until the best rate of climb airspeed was achieved. The engine operated normally during this period. The pilot reported that, a few seconds after the airplane departed ground effect, he noticed that the airplane was not climbing as “strongly,” which was followed by a “dramatic” decrease in the airplane’s rate of climb. The pilot retracted the flaps and noticed that the engine power decreased to 2,000 rpm at which time the left wing began to stall. He banked the airplane to the left toward a wheat field to avoid the powerlines and trees ahead. The airplane began a rapid descent. The airplane impacted the terrain, cartwheeled, and came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have resulted in a loss of engine power. The airplane was about 71 pounds under gross weight. The airport field elevation was 645 feet, and the density altitude was about 1,930 feet. A possibility of carburetor icing existed at glide and cruise power. However, the engine was operating at a high power setting for takeoff, indicating that carburetor ice was likely not the reason for the loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/20/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1720 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Frankenmuth |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48734 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 431850N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834146W |
| Event Location Airport | Wm Tiny Zehnder Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 66G |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 1753 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MBS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 668 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30014 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-GRR-FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 2 2012 5:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4595T |
| NTSB Number | CEN12LA308 |
| 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 | 28-7205191 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2240 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KITZE AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CANTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48187 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | KITZE AVIATION INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CANTON |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 48187 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 66G |
| Departure City | Frankenmuth |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1D2 |
| Destination City | Plymouth |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 15 2012 7:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | sulp |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 2530 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |