Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Gaylord, Michigan, October 25, 2000
On October 25, 2000, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N15900, was destroyed in an accident near Gaylord, Michigan (Otsego County Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining proper glideslope and localizer alignment during the precision instrument approach, the pilot continuing flight below the decision height, the pilot not performing a missed approach, and the pilot not maintaining altitude/clearance from the trees and terrain. Contributing factors to the accident were the air traffic controller not issuing the current weather conditions to the pilot prior to the approach clearance, the weather conditions being below the instrument approach landing minimums, the pilot's lack of recent experience in instrument flight rules (IFR) operations and the pilot disregarding federal regulations regarding instrument currency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2000
- Place
- Gaylord, Michigan · Otsego County Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15900 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7335103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain during a precision instrument approach. The wreckage was located 0.66 nautical miles (nm) left of the course centerline and 2.44 nm from the runway threshold. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident with a visibility of 1/4 statute mile (sm) and a vertical visibility of 100 feet above ground level (agl). No anomalies were found with the airplane, engine, and systems that could be identified as existing prior to impact. Subsequent to the accident, the instrument approach was flight-tested and was fully operational with no discrepancies. The landing minimums for the instrument approach were a cloud height of 200 feet agl and a visibility of 1/2 statute mile. Air traffic control (ATC) did not issue the current weather conditions to the pilot or verify that the pilot had the current weather conditions prior to issuing the clearance for the instrument approach. The pilot was not current for operations in instrument meteorological conditions.
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: 918 hours in all; 57 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 838 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 18, 1998
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,358.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2000; 117.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI at 10:56 pm
- Destination: GLR Gaylord MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 09, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.