Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hillsdale Minucipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hillsdale, Michigan 49242
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 18:20 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On November 21, 2012, approximately 1820 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N40781, registered to the pilot, impacted trees and terrain while on approach to the Hillsdale Municipal Airport (JYM), Hillsdale, Michigan. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the vicinity and a flight plan was not filed for the cross country flight being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated about 1700 from the Lebanon-Warren County Airport, Lebanon, Ohio.
Minutes prior to the accident, about 18 miles from the airport, the pilot contacted Hillsdale on UNICOM frequency and requested that the lights for runway 28 be turned on. The airport manager who was monitoring the UNICOM turned on the lights. He reported that the pilot sounded normal and estimated the weather conditions at the time of the call to be marginal VMC with haze.
Official sunset at Hillsdale was 1713 and official twilight was 1743.
The airplane wreckage was found about 1.25 miles east of the approach end of runway 28 at JYM. The initial impact points were found about 60 feet above the ground in trees. The debris path extended about 700 feet through the trees and the airplane was found resting on its left side, with the engine embedded in the ground at a shallow angle. The approximate heading of the path through the trees was 255 degrees magnetic. The fuselage and empennage section were found primarily intact with its left wing separated and folded under the aft portion of the fuselage. Local law enforcement officers who initially responded to the accident site confirmed a strong odor of fuel within the wreckage.
The aircraft wreckage was recovered from the scene and relocated to a secure hangar at the Lenawee County airport (ADG) on November 23, 2012.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/21/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1820 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Hillsdale |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49242 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415502N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0843333W |
| Event Location Airport | Hillsdale Minucipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JYM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1184 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1814 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JYM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1184 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | SA 21/11/2012 23:14-> METAR KJYM 212314Z AUTO 0000 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2012 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N40781 |
| NTSB Number | CEN13FA067 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7405065 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Oct 5 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 2541 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Clarence J Avery |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10615 Ocean Beach Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Clark Lake |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49234 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Clarence J Avery |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 10615 Ocean Beach Road |
| Operator City | Clark Lake |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 49234 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | I68 |
| Departure City | Lebanon |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | JYM |
| Destination City | Hillsdale |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2012 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |