Rockwell International 114 incident near Lapeer, Michigan, May 21, 2013
On May 21, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Rockwell International 114, registered N5832N, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing near Lapeer, Michigan (Dupont-Lapeer airport). It was a flight test 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 malfunction of the pilot’s seat-latching mechanism due to a bent rod, which allowed the seat to come loose and slide full aft and resulted in a temporary loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Lapeer, Michigan · Dupont-Lapeer · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International 114 · all 114s on the register
- Registration
- N5832N · registry record · serial 14381
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a postmaintenance test flight with the owner acting as copilot. During the landing roll, the pilot's seat came loose and slid full aft. The right wing came up while the pilot's hand was still on the flight controls. He instructed the copilot to take the controls and keep the airplane on the runway. The left wingtip and aileron sustained minor damage during the incident sequence; however, the damage was not discovered until 3 weeks after the incident. An examination of the seat-latching mechanism revealed that the metal rod that locked the seat in place was bent. When aft pressure was applied to the seat, the bent rod released from the latch hole in the seat track, which allowed the seat to slide.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Seat/cargo attach fitting › Not inspected other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Seat/cargo attach fitting › Malfunction other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,940 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 3,783 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,842 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 2012; 50 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming I0-540 (piston); 206 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D95 Lapeer MI
- Destination: D95 Lapeer MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 6:14 pm from D95
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 31, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Owner) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous - Owners Group | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous - Service Difficulty Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5832N on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Rockwell International 114 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Rockwell International 657 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming I0-540 4,223 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Dupont/Lapeer Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,236 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13IA355.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.