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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2000 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 2000
- Place
- Mackinac Island, Michigan · Mackinac Island Airport · cases near this 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- 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 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,632 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, 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
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°F (65°C), dew point 95°F (35°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from MCD, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9174W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,639 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 40 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mackinac Island Airport · nearest airport
- Jackson County/Reynolds Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,224 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI00LA264.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.