Piper PA-28-181 accident near Brooklyn, Michigan, June 24, 2001
On June 24, 2001 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8210Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brooklyn, Michigan (Shamrock Field). 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 proper touchdown point exceeded, all of the available runway not used, and aircraft control not being maintained by the pilot during the landing. Factors to the accident were the pilot mistaking the taxiway for the runway, the pilot not performing a go-around after identifying the runway on final approach, and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2001 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Brooklyn, Michigan · Shamrock Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8210Z · registry record · serial 28-8290136
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when the pilot landed long and the airplane overran the end of runway, striking some trees. The pilot reported that he had initially mistaken the taxiway, located to the left side of the runway, for runway 01 and had identified the correct runway while on final approach. The pilot stated that once he had identified runway 01 he executed a steep approach to the runway, touching down with approximately one half of the useable runway remaining. The pilot reported that, "Approached too high[,] I believe this was where I screwed up big time!" The pilot reported that he was unable to stop the airplane prior to the end of the runway, and the airplane impacted a ditch off to the right side of the end of the runway. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, "...Stabilized [approach], low speed to soft field at the threshold rather than further infield...Vigilance for threshold confusion in turf fields...Prefer paved fields if never landed on grass before."
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: 625 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 477 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 2000; 304.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MBS Saginaw MI at 3:45 pm
- Destination: 6G8 Brooklyn MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 01, 2,822 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from JXN, 14 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.
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.