Piper PA-28-180 accident near Three Rivers, Michigan, April 12, 2010
On April 12, 2010, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3470R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Three Rivers, Michigan (Three Rivers Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during landing due to the failure of the left main landing gear torque link as a result of fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2010
- Place
- Three Rivers, Michigan · Three Rivers Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3470R · registry record · serial 28-5696
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a touch-and-go landing, the airplane veered to the left and the flight instructor attempted to correct to the right thinking the student applied the left brake. However, the airplane continued to veer to the left and the right wing struck the terrain. The airplane continued off the runway and came to rest in a field. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left aft spar was bent and fractured, the left main landing gear separated, and the main landing landing gear torque link was fractured. An NTSB Materials Laboratory examination of the torque link revealed the fracture face contained crack arrest marks typical of fatigue cracking that emanated from multiple origins at the surface of the wall on both sides of the link. The fatigue origin areas contained no evidence of gouge damage or corrosion damage. The fatigue cracks were the result of lateral stress produced during landing and taxi operations. Hardness testing of the material produced values greater than the minimum hardness value.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 9,500 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 28, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 4 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,486 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HAI Three Rivers MI at 11:40 pm
- Destination: HAI Three Rivers MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.