Piper PA-31-310 accident near Lake Huron, Michigan, June 26, 2005
On June 26, 2005 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N601RE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Huron, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fuel exhaustion during cruise flight, the inadequate in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2005 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Huron, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N601RE · no longer on the register · serial 31-811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane, operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by a commercial operator, impacted a lake following a total loss of engine power on both engines. The pilot reported that the left wing fuel tank was empty and the right wing fuel tank indicated a 1/4 full. Inspection of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank was empty, about one gallon of fuel was drained from the right wing outboard fuel drain and about one gallon of fuel was drained from the right wing inboard fuel drain. The fuel selectors were in their respective inboard fuel tank positions and the crossfeed selector was in the off position.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,900 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Evans Air Copr
The flight
- Departed from: CPT2 Ontario
- Destination: PHN Port Huron MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.