Piper PA-34 accident near Lowell, Michigan, July 7, 2002
On July 7, 2002 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-34, registered N52WP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lowell, Michigan (Lowell City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The probable cause of this accident was a failure to properly compensate for the current wind conditions. Excessive use of brakes was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2002 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Michigan · Lowell City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34 · all PA-34s on the register
- Registration
- N52WP · registry record · serial 76-70182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft blew a tire on rollout after landing rollout. The pilot stated "I landed on the runway and immediately applied full braking power after getting the right wheel on the grass in hopes of getting better drag, without too much pressure on the tire, instead of asphalt. Approximately 35 feet from the end of the runway the left tire blew. The airplane had slowed to 20 mph at this time and until the tire blew I felt that the situation was under control. The airplane went 15 feet off the end of the runway before stopping." The pilot said under Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation "that better evaluation of wind conditions" may have prevented the accident. "They were not what was on ATIS at GRR."
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 624 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 435 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2001; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental 360-E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stt Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 3D4 Frankfort MI
- Destination: Lowell MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.