Cessna 172P accident near St. Joseph, Michigan, July 4, 1984
On July 4, 1984 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52444, was destroyed in an accident near St. Joseph, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1984 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. Joseph, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52444 · no longer on the register · serial 17274525
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PIECES OF WRECKAGE AND THE BODY OF THE PLT WERE RECOVERED FROM LAKE MICHIGAN APRX 4 MI SW OF ST JOSEPH. WX AT THE DEP ARPT WAS VFR BUT DETERIORATED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT OVER THE LAKE DUE TO FOG BECOMING IMC. A CAUTION STATEMENT PRINTED ON THE CHICAGO SECTIONAL WARNED PLTS OF A LOSS OF HORIZONTAL REFERENCE AT LOW ALT OVER THE LAKE DURING HAZY CONDITIONS OR AT NIGHT. THERE WERE NO RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT AFTER BEING CLEARED TO TAKEOFF WITH A NORTH EASTERLY DEP.
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: 125 hours in all; 125 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,149 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 14, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: MDW Chicago IL at 2:24 pm
- Destination: 0D1 South Haven MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from BEH, 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.