Piper PA-28 accident near Lake City, Michigan, November 22, 1987
On November 22, 1987 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N9817W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Michigan (Home Acres Sky Ranch 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
- November 22, 1987 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Michigan · Home Acres Sky Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N9817W · no longer on the register · serial 2823319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF FROM A SNOW COVERED RUNWAY. DURING THE INITIAL GROUND RUN, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY & COLLIDED WITH TREES. THE PLT RPRTD THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH AT 8 TO 10 KTS. APRX 20 MI ENE, THE 1553 EST HOUGHTON LAKE WIND WAS FROM 150 DEG AT 7 KTS.
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: 140 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 28 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,345 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from HTL, 20 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.