Piper PA-46-310P accident near Lakeville, Michigan, June 26, 1990
On June 26, 1990 at about 8:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N315RC, was destroyed in an accident near Lakeville, Michigan. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE AIRPLANE'S ICE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN A PERFORMANCE LOSS DUE TO INDUCTION ICING, PROPELLER ICING, OR BOTH, WHILE FLYING IN CONVECTIVE INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AT AND ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL. THE PERFORMANCE LOSS LED TO A STALL, THE RECOVERY FROM WHICH PROBABLY WAS EXACERBATED BY THE PILOT'S IMPROPER RESPONSE TO ERRONEOUS AIRSPEED INDICATIONS THAT RESULTED FROM BLOCKAGE OF THE PITOT TUBE BY ATMOSPHERIC ICING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1990 · about 8:16 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeville, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N315RC · registry record · serial 46-8508044
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG IFR DEP, PLT RCVD PROGRESSIVE ALT CLNCS TO CLIMB TO 15,000'. AT 1607 EDT, HE WAS VCTRD FOR 'A GOOD RATE OF CLIMB' THRU 14,000' WITH CLNC TO PROCEED ON COURSE AFTER LVG 14,000' FOR 15,000'. RADAR DATA INDCD A STEADY CLIMB TIL ACFT WAS ABV 13,000'. AS IT CLIMBED FM 13,300' TO 13,900' (MAX RECORDED ALT), ITS SPD SLOWED FM ABT 115 KTS TO BLO 80 KTS. AT 1613 EDT, PLT WAS CLRD TO PROCD DRCT & CHG FREQ. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER RCHG 13,900', ACFT DEVIATED FM COURSE & ENTERED STEEP DSCNT. RADAR CTC WAS LOST & INFLT BREAKUP OCCURRED. PIECES OF WNGS & STABILIZERS WERE FND UP TO 1.5 MI FM FUSELAGE. TRAJECTORY STUDY DISCLOSED BREAKUP OCCURRED BTN 6000' & 9000' MSL. EXAM OF FRACTURES ON MAJOR CMPTS REVEALED CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF OVERSTRESS; NO PREEXISTING CRACKS WERE FND. NO AUTOPLT FAILURE OR BIRD STRIKE WAS FND. CLDS WERE LAYERED TO 20,000'; FRZG LVL WAS ABT 12,500'. THERE WAS EVIDENCE ACFT WAS IN OR NR CONVECTIVE PRECIP ABV FRZG LVL FOR ABT 1.5 MIN BFR RAPID DSCNT. FND PITOT HEAT SW 'OFF' & INDUCTION AIR DOOR IN ITS PRIMARY PSN. (SEE: NTLS/SIR-92/03)
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 983 hours in all; 197 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 887 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1990; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNT Flint MI at 8:02 pm
- Destination: CAK Akron OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from PTK, 16 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.