Aero Commander 681 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, September 6, 1982
On September 6, 1982 at about 9:39 pm local time, a Aero Commander 681, registered N10TN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pontiac, Michigan (Oakland-Pontiac airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1982 · about 9:39 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Oakland-Pontiac
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 681 · all 681s on the register
- Registration
- N10TN · registry record · serial 6037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PILOT OBSERVED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE FLUCTUATING. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A HOLD PATTERN AND ATTEMPTED TO ASCERTAIN THE PROBLEM. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. DURING FINAL APPROACH FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING THE PILOT FEATHERED THE LEFT ENGINE AND ON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS FEATHERED. TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ON THE RIGHT GEAR WITH FULL RIGHT AILERON. THE PILOT LOST AILERON LIFT AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO THE LEFT GEAR AND THE GEAR COLLAPSED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT, MAIN GEAR HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PLUMBING HAD A FATIGUE HAIRLINE CRACK IN THE PRESSURE LINE LEADING FROM THE PUMP TO THE CYLINDER. THE FRACTURE WAS IN THE 90 DEGREE BEND OF THE LINE.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,510 hours in all; 2,130 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,232 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331-43BL (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans Industries
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI at 1:50 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 6,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:39 pm from PTK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI82DA341.