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).
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 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1982 · about 9:39 pm local time · cases in 1982
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Oakland-Pontiac · cases near this airport
- 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 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N10TN on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aero Commander 681 6 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 714 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331-43BL 4 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Oakland County International · nearest airport
- Detroit Metro Wayne County · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,103 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,217 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI82DA341.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.