Piper PA-601P accident near Monroe, Michigan, September 11, 1990
On September 11, 1990 at about 10:15 am local time, a Piper PA-601P, registered N321GB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monroe, Michigan (Custer airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE TORQUE LINK ON THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT SCISSOR ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1990 · about 10:15 am local time
- Place
- Monroe, Michigan · Custer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-601P
- Registration
- N321GB · registry record · serial 629-7963287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FELT THE AIRPLANE PULL RIGHT AT TOUCHDOWN. COMBINED USE OF FLIGHT CONTROLS, LEFT BRAKE AND DIFFERENTIAL POWER REDUCED BUT DID NOT PREVENT A DRIFT OFF THE RUNWAY. A BROKEN TORQUE LINK ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SCISSORS ASSEMBLY ALLOWED THE LOWER STRUT TO TURN OUT OF ALIGNMENT, SCRUBBING THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE SIDEWAYS THROUGHOUT THE LANDING ROLL. THERE HAVE BEEN 17 SIMILAR FAILURES SINCE 1985. THE MANUFACTURER HAS USED A REDESIGNED LINK IN NEW PRODUCTION SINCE 1982 WITHOUT FAILURE. SERVICE BULLETIN 746A, ISSUED 5/86, OFFERS A LINK REPLACEMENT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,681 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 181 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 1,621 as pilot in command; 929 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,843 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 13, 1990; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RFD Rockford IL at 8:46 am
- Destination: D92 Monroe MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from DTW, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.