Rockwell 112YC accident near Detroit, Michigan, October 16, 1991
On October 16, 1991 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Rockwell 112YC, registered N4603W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Detroit, Michigan (Detroit City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PERFORM A MAJOR REPAIR AND CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1991 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · Detroit City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 112YC
- Registration
- N4603W · registry record · serial 13093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE LANDED WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THE PILOT STATED, 'I APPROACHED GLIDE SLOPE I LOWERED THE GEAR. I GOT GREEN LIGHTS ONLY ON THE TWO MAIN GEAR AND NO NOSE GEAR.' THE PILOT PERFORMED A GO AROUND AND REQUESTED CLEARANCE TO A CLEAR AREA IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN THE NATURE OF THE LANDING GEAR PROBLEM. WHEN ALL ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THE PILOT ORDERED HIS PASSENGER INTO THE REAR SEAT AND LANDED ON THE SOD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTORS FOUND PREEXISTING STRUCTURAL AND SHEET METAL DAMAGE IN THE NOSE AREA OF THE AIRPLANE DURING A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,705 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 9,400 as pilot in command; 3,349 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming T0-360-C1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVC Traverse City MI at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:42 pm from DET, 1 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.