Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Troy, Michigan, October 13, 1985
On October 13, 1985 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N9422N, was destroyed in an accident near Troy, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1985 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Troy, Michigan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N9422N · no longer on the register · serial 28R-35134
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER ON TAKEOFF. ALTITUDE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. DURING AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND LANDED ON RAILROAD TRACKS. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN AT ALL POWER SETTINGS WITHOUT DISCREPANCIES.
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: 136 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 58 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,850 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 19, 1985; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming I0360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: VHP Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from DET, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.