Piper PA-38-112 accident near Coopersville, Michigan, August 12, 2000
On August 12, 2000 at about 4:22 am local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2545N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coopersville, Michigan. It was an instructional flight 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
fuel starvation due to the blocked carburetor. Factors relating to the accident were the foreign object (tab), the improper maintenance performed on the carburetor, and the corn crop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2000 · about 4:22 am local time
- Place
- Coopersville, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2545N · registry record · serial 38-79A0908
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was returning to Muskegon, Michigan following a circuit, cross-country flight. As the airplane approached Muskegon, the instructor pilot said he told his student to perform a climbing turn and a descending turn. As the student finished the maneuver, 'I heard the engine go to idle.' The instructor pilot said they realized that the engine had quit. The instructor pilot took control of the airplane and made several restart attempts. The instructor pilot located a field on the ground to land on, shut off everything but the master switch and landed. The instructor pilot said he tried to keep the nose wheel off the ground, but in a couple of seconds, they were stopped. An examination of the engine's carburetor revealed that a 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch diameter, angular tab, was totally blocking the hole in the seat. Examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 727 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 308 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 666 as pilot in command; 364 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,849 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2000; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKG Muskegon MI at 1:35 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from MKG, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.