Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Lapeer, Michigan, October 28, 2001
On October 28, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N6899C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lapeer, Michigan (Dupont-Lapeer airport). It was an instructional 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 touchdown aim point not attained by the pilot rated student and the remedial action not performed by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lapeer, Michigan · Dupont-Lapeer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N6899C · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7837176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed short of the runway during an instructional flight for a complex airplane endorsement. The flight instructor reported his safety recommendations as: change the runway aiming point for students, be more forceful with increase power requests, and review procedures with students during preflight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the flight instructor's medical certificate was expired. The flight instructor previously received a warning letter from the FAA on September 1, 1999 for instructing and acting as pilot-in-command without a valid medical certificate. The owner of the flight school where the instructor was employed stated that he does not check the validity of his flight instructors' pilot or medical certificate information and was unaware that the accident flight instructor did not possess a valid medical certificate.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,310 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 4,170 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 31, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 105 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 52 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 21, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,597.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 2001; 2.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D95 Lapeer MI at 3:00 pm
- Destination: D95 Lapeer MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,900 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.51 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from FNT, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N6899C 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.