Piper PA-38-112 accident near Hastings, Michigan, May 4, 2002
On May 4, 2002 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2494B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hastings, Michigan (Hastings 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 failure to attain airspeed, inadequate supervision of the flight, and delayed remedial action which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2002 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Hastings, Michigan · Hastings Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2494B · registry record · serial 38-79A0092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during an aborted landing attempt. During the instructional flight the student pilot began the landing flare approximately 15 to 20 feet above ground level (agl) and then elected to perform a go-around. During the go-around the aircraft continued to descend and the certified flight instructor (CFI) took over the control of the airplane. The CFI stated, "My first action was to verify throttle and mixture were both forward - which they were. At this time the stall warning horn sounded so I immediately lowered the nose to gain airspeed. At this point we were ~ 5 feet off the ground in ground effect and I remember the right wing was lowered in an attempt to get back to the runway." The student pilot reported, "With full power applied the plane started to sink. The instructor took control of the airplane. The plane refused to fly and went down to the left of runway 12." The airplane impacted three runway edge lights, a runway marker cone, and a runway intersection sign prior to the nose gear collapsing.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 352 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 261 as pilot in command; 19 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,638.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 2001; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9D9 Hastings MI at 3:15 pm
- Destination: 9D9 Hastings MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from GRR, 15 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.
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.