Piper PA-28-161 accident near Buchanan, Michigan, September 9, 2010
On September 9, 2010 at about 4:51 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N3560B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Buchanan, Michigan. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the engine's No. 3 and No. 4 cylinder valve lifters for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2010 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- Buchanan, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N3560B · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 3,000 feet above mean sea level (msl) the engine lost all power. The pilot executed a forced landing in a corn field. A postaccident inspection of the engine revealed the heads on the No. 3 cylinder intake valve lifter and the No. 4 cylinder intake valve lifter were fractured with a portion of the head separated. The entire head of the No.4 cylinder exhaust valve lifter was separated from the lifter body and the fractured surface on the body was completely smeared from impact damage. The extensive damage to the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve likely indicated it was the first failure in the sequence; however, the damage precluded a determination of the failure mode. Six pieces of the separated sections from the remaining valve lifter heads were found inside the crankcase. Their fractured surfaces did not show any indications of fatigue. The engine had accumulated 1,637 hours since the overhaul. Reconditioned lifters were installed on the engine during the overhaul.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 521 hours in all; 521 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,058 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2010; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Donnair Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: C91 Dowagiac MI at 4:42 pm
- Destination: VPZ Valparasio IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SBN, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.