Piper PA28 accident near Sparta, Michigan, February 16, 2020
On February 16, 2020 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA28, registered N6520W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sparta, Michigan (Sparta Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing on the snow/slush-covered portion of the runway and the flight instructor's improper decision to allow the student to make his first solo flight from a snow/slush-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2020 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Michigan · Sparta Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1965 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N6520W · registry record · serial 28-20599
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, before the accident flight, he and his flight instructor had conducted three uneventful landings on the snow-covered runway before the instructor exited the airplane to allow him to make his first solo flight. During the first solo landing, the airplane slid "a bit," and the airplane came to a stop about 90° from the desired runway heading. The student taxied the airplane back to the ramp where he and the instructor discussed the landing, and both agreed that the student could continue with his second solo flight. During the second solo landing, the airplane slid left upon touchdown, and the student applied right rudder but was unable to regain directional control. Subsequently, the airplane slid into a snowbank beside the runway. The outboard 3 ft of the left wing sustained substantial damage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction with the flight controls, nosewheel steering, or wheel brakes. Most of the runway was covered with between about 1 and 2 inches of snow/slush at the time of the accident. It is likely that the student landed the airplane on a snow/slush-covered portion of the runway, which resulted in the loss of directional control.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15.5 hours in all; 13.3 in this make and model; 8.3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,155.0 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: P T Arts LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 8D4 Sparta MI at 5:45 pm
- Destination: 8D4 Sparta MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,032 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GRR, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2020. 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation (Michael Matthews) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement (Michael Matthews) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo | 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.
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.