Piper AEROSTAR 600 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, April 4, 1984
On April 4, 1984 at about 12:22 pm local time, a Piper AEROSTAR 600, registered N3645T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pontiac, Michigan (Pontiac/Oakland airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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
- April 4, 1984 · about 12:22 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Pontiac/Oakland
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper AEROSTAR 600 AEROSTAR 6 · all AEROSTAR 600s on the register
- Registration
- N3645T · no longer on the register · serial 600852816124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ILS APCH, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREETOPS WHILE IT WAS SLIGHTLY LEFT OF THE APCH COURSE NEAR THE MIDDLE MARKER. THE PLT CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT TO THE RWY & THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1000 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD. AT TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT & SKIDDED TO A STOP BETWEEN THE RWY & A TAXIWAY. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS & THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WERE DAMAGED DURING IMPACT WITH THE TREES. SCRAPE MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE TREAD OF THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE WHICH SHOWED THAT IT HAD SKIDDED ABOUT 90 DEG TO THE PLANE OF ROTATION AS IF IT HAD BEEN COCKED AT TOUCHDOWN. THE PLT STATED THAT SHE WAS CHASING THE NEEDLE DEFLECTION WHILE ON THE ILS APCH & WAS NOT PROPERLY OBSERVING THE ALTIMETER WHEN THE ACFT HIT THE TREES. THE DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE ILS APCH WAS 1180 FT MSL. THE ARPT ELEVATION WAS 980 FT MSL.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,615 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 6,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1J5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMH Columbus OH at 11:45 am
- Destination: PTK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9R, 6,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:22 pm from PTK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 CHI84FA148.