Piper PA-32-260 accident near Jackson, Michigan, January 24, 2006
On January 24, 2006 at about 1:47 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3946W, was destroyed in an accident near Jackson, Michigan (Jackson County-Reynolds Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the blocked induction air filter due to ice accumulation which resulted in a loss of engine power. The pilot's improper weather evaluation, trees, snow, fog, and icing conditions were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2006 · about 1:47 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Michigan · Jackson County-Reynolds Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3946W · no longer on the register · serial 32-895
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he obtained a weather update and that the weather consisted of light snow, and forecast icing conditions below 10,000 feet. He also stated that the "potential icing conditions did not suggest the flight could not be safely conducted." About 20 minutes into the flight, while at cruise power and approximately 7,000 feet, the airplane began to lose manifold pressure and the engine began to sputter. He was " losing power, losing airspeed and losing altitude." The pilot applied full carburetor heat but the loss of engine power persisted. He subsequently executed a forced landing in a wooded area and he could not find a clearing during the forced landing attempt. During subsequent examination of the airplane, the right magneto would not produce spark. Disassembly revealed that the contact point would open and close when the magneto was rotated. The spark plugs were black and sooty. The air filter element was found to be wet and water could be wrung from it. Water was also in the filter housing. The carburetor heat control was found in the off position. A Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) stated that impact ice forms when moisture-laden air at temperatures below freezing strikes and freezes on parts of the airplane. The AC further stated that pilots should be particularly alert for such icing when flying in snow, sleet, rain, or clouds and that it is usually preferable to use carburetor heat or alternate air as an ice prevention means, rather than as a deicer, because fast forming ice which is not immediately recognized by the pilot may significantly lower the amount of heat available from the carburetor heating system. The weather conditions at the airport nearest the accident site included light snow, freezing fog, a temperature of -1 degree Celsius, and a dew point of -3 degrees Celsius.
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: 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: 803 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 693 as pilot in command; 278 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,583 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAN Lansing MI at 1:19 pm
- Destination: SKY Sandusky OH
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 1:44 pm from JXN, 5 miles away
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.
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.