Piper PA-28-235 accident near Mackinac Island, Michigan, August 19, 2000
On August 19, 2000 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9174W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mackinac Island, Michigan (Mackinac Island Airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot not maintaining aircraft control in response to the uncommanded roll, and the excessive descent to the runway resulting in the hard landing. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's attempted recovery from the uncommanded roll, the high crosswind, the pilot's recovery from the bounced landing, and his inadequate preflight planning in preparing for the wind conditions at the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2000 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mackinac Island, Michigan · Mackinac Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9174W · registry record · serial 28-10829
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said his flight was uneventful until the final approach to landing on runway 08 at the Mackinac Island, Michigan, Airport (MCD). The airport winds were reported as 3-4 knots from the north. "Over the threshold, the left wing [of the airplane] went up to approximately 35-40 degrees." The pilot said that he was able to "stabilize the aircraft just prior to touchdown. The initial landing was hard, and the plane porpoised prior to the second touchdown." The pilot said the airplane then veered to the left. "The plane continued on to the grassy area on the left side of the runway and the nose gear collapsed." Following the accident, the pilot observed a large American flag, south of the runway, "standing straight out (north to south)." An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Nine minutes prior to the accident, the automated weather observation system at the airport reported clear skies, 10 miles visibility, winds 360 degrees at 6 knots, temperature 65 degrees F, dew point 35 degrees F, and altimeter 30.27 inches of Mercury. Six minutes prior to the accident, the Automated Surface Observation System at Alpina, Michigan, 66 miles from MCD at 140 degrees, reported clear skies, 10 miles visibility, winds 320 degrees at 11 knots, gusts to 18 knots, temperature 65 degrees F, dew point 37 degrees F, and altimeter 30.26 inches of Mercury. The Airport/Facilities Directory for the Mackinac Island Airport, states in the remarks section, "AWOS-3 winds unreliable due to trees north of the runway."
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 - IN FLIGHT during approach - vfr pattern - final approach
- HARD LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
- NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 1,033 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 822 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,632 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 22, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: JXN Jackson MI at 5:00 pm
- Destination: MCD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 3,501 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 149°C, dew point 95°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from MCD, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CHI00LA264.