Piper PA-30 accident near Caro, Michigan, September 2, 2025
On September 2, 2025 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1969 Piper PA-30, registered N26RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Caro, Michigan (Tuscola Area airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remove the tow bar before flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2025 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Caro, Michigan · Tuscola Area · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30, built 1969 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N26RJ · registry record · serial 30-1886
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departure, the pilot noticed the landing gear position indicator light did not show that the landing gear was retracted and the circuit breaker was tripped. He cycled the circuit breaker a few times and it kept tripping. The pilot then diverted to an airport where he normally had maintenance performed on his airplane. While landing, the airplane veered sharply to the right and went through a ditch which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage. After the accident, it was discovered the pilot had forgotten to remove the tow bar he used to pull the airplane out of the hangar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Inadequate inspection
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,508.9 hours in all; 501.9 in this make and model; 39.4 in the last 90 days; 22.9 in the last 30 days; 1,415.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 3,785 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 3,785 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KACB Bellaire MI at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KCFS Caro MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 4,302 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KCFS
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCFS 021755Z AUTO VRB02KT 10SM OVC055 24/11 A3008 RMK AO2 10247 20104=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA361.