Piper PA-34-200T accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 17, 2001
On October 17, 2001 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N29461, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan (Ann Arbor Muni 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 pilots failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Factors were the gusty crosswind and the terrain drop-off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2001 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ann Arbor, Michigan · Ann Arbor Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N29461 · no longer on the register · serial 34-7970254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ran off of the side of the runway during landing. In a written report, the pilot said that he encountered a crosswind while landing. He said that the, "...plane was blown off runway to [the] south of [runway 24]. Plane continued off runway [and] went over a 1-2 foot drop off at site of crossing sod runway." The weather reporting station located at the accident airport recorded the wind at 1353 edt as 330 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 23 knots. No mechanical anomalies were found with respect to the airplane that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. No mechanical malfunction was reported by the pilot.
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: 1,028 hours in all; 435 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 947 as pilot in command; 197 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,933 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 2001; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-360-KB6B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-360-KB6B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDW Chicago IL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ARB Ann Arbor MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from ARB
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.
Other NTSB records under N29461 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.