Amateur-built Avid Magnum accident near Lowell, Michigan, March 2, 2010
On March 2, 2010 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Avid Magnum, registered N103DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lowell, Michigan (Lowell City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control while landing on a slush-covered runway due to inadequate maintenance of the airplane brakes by maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2010 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Michigan · Lowell City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Avid Magnum
- Registration
- N103DG · registry record · serial 6M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to the departure airport after having flown for approximately two hours at various cruise altitudes. The pilot attempted a landing on runway 30 (2,394 feet by 48 feet), which was slush-covered. During the landing rollout, the airplane "swerved hard right" and into a snowbank, where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included damage to the wing ribs, wing trailing edge, and rudder. A weather reporting station about 9 miles from the accident site recorded variable winds at 4 knots at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed that the brake pin lubrication had dried out and the right brake caliper would not release.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 14, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 589 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 24C Lowell MI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 24C Lowell MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,394 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from GRR, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N103DG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA155.