Piper PA-22 accident near Plainwell, Michigan, July 19, 2005
On July 19, 2005 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N2654A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plainwell, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power on downwind due to carburetor icing, and the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during the forced landing. A factor was the soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2005 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plainwell, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N2654A · no longer on the register · serial 22-915
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained damage when it nosed over during a forced landing following a loss of engine power on a downwind approach. The pilot stated, "[The passenger] and I had installed the overhauled carburetor ... and ran up the engine to verify proper working condition. ... [The next day] we ran it up twice to double check - everything was operating properly. The 11:25 am take-off was smooth and the climb out was strong. We turned crosswind, then downwind [1,000 feet above ground level]. On the tailend of the downwind, I pulled the carburetor heat, then pulled more power back. Five seconds later, I went to put more power in but the engine was dead. ... Our descent rate exceeded our distance to the airport, so we headed for the closest field. It appeared to be a bean field, which would have been hard packed and flat. However, it was a potato field, which was soft, soaked from recent rain, and uniform with 1 1/2 to 2 foot deep ruts. The landing was fine until the nose gear hit and dug in. The plane flipped over onto its top and slid to a stop." An examination of wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies with the airframe, engine, or carburetor. The recorded local temperature was 28 degrees C and the dew point was 16 degrees C. The temperature and dew point were plotted on a Transport Canada Carburetor Icing chart and their intersection falls in the serious icing - descent power area of the chart.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 134 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 85 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61D Plainwell MI at 3:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from AZO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.