Piper PA-28-161 accident near Troy, Michigan, January 13, 1985
On January 13, 1985 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8444D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Troy, Michigan (Oakland-Troy airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1985 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Troy, Michigan · Oakland-Troy
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8444D · registry record · serial 28-8216012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SIGN DURING A FORCED LNDG AFTER A LOSS OF POWER THAT OCCURD DURING INITIAL CLIMB AT AN ALT OF 400 FT AGL. THE PLT STATED THAT THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND WITH THE APPLICATION OF CARB HEAT THE ENG QUIT. A POST ACCIDENT ENG RUN-UP WAS NORMAL.
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: student
- Flight time: 802 hours in all; 802 in this make and model; 96 in the last 90 days; 218 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 910 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 1984; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lentini Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 7D2 Troy MI at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,855 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from DET, 22 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.