Piper PA-32-260 accident near Applegate, Michigan, May 12, 2012
On May 12, 2012 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N4727S, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Applegate, 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
The pilot’s decision to attempt to take off from an unimproved field, which resulted in a collapsed nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2012 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Applegate, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N4727S · registry record · serial 32-1166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Earlier in the day, the pilot inadvertently landed on a plowed field; the airplane was not damaged during the landing. Later, the pilot returned and attempted to take off. The airplane's nose landing gear collapsed when it got stuck in the mud during the takeoff. The pilot reported that his intent was to taxi the airplane on local roads to a nearby airfield; however, in a recording of a conversation between the pilot and a flight service station agent, the pilot stated that he “got stuck in the mud on departure.” When asked by the agent if there was any damage to the airplane, he responded that there was. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,956 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Applegate MI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 7MI Lexington MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:57 pm from PHN, 26 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.