Grumman AA-5B accident near Beaver Island, Michigan, August 5, 2001
On August 5, 2001 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5B, registered N4545T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beaver Island, Michigan (Welke 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 misjudged the approach and landing, and his failure to abort the landing. Factors associated with the accident were the trees at the approach end of the runway and the sand/gravel pit that the airplane traveled into.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2001 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Beaver Island, Michigan · Welke · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5B
- Registration
- N4545T · registry record · serial AA5B1268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane traveled off the departure end of the runway and into a sand/gravel pit on landing. The landing was being made on runway 35 (3,500 feet by 140 feet, dry grass). A typed statement provided by the pilot with his NTSB form 6120.1/2 stated that because of trees at the end of the runway, the pilot made a higher than normal approach and sustained engine power until the trees were cleared. He reported the airplane touched down 500 feet beyond approach end of the runway. The pilot reported that during the landing roll he applied additional braking when he realized that the runway had a down slope. He reported, "While I am sure there was a moment that I could have aborted the landing, it passed due to my confidence that directional control and braking was sufficient to achieve this landing." The airplane continued off the departure end of the runway into a sand/gravel pit, which is 8 to 10 feet below the runway elevation. The right wing contacted a sand pile and the airplane rotated 20 degrees to the right prior to coming to rest. There are 60-foot tall trees located 10 feet from the approach end of runway 35. Runway 35 has a 1,350 foot displaced threshold.
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
- OVERRUN during landing - roll
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 462 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 390 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,813 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, November 20, 2000; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: D87 Harbor Springs MI at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 6Y8 Beaver Island MI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 35, 3,500 ft by 140 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 30.120001 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from CVX, 26 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 CHI01LA266.