Cessna T337G accident near Smiths Creek, Michigan, January 4, 1993
On January 4, 1993, a Cessna T337G, registered N1ZD, was destroyed in an accident near Smiths Creek, Michigan (St Clair County Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE DARK NIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1993
- Place
- Smiths Creek, Michigan · St Clair County Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T337G · all T337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N1ZD · registry record · serial P3370264
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 4, AT NIGHT, IN IFR CONDITIONS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND THE GROUND 1/4 MI WEST OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ANGLE MEASURED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT CRATER THROUGH THE BROKEN LIMBS WAS 45 DEG. NO PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINES, PROPELLERS, AIRFRAME, OR ACCESSORIES.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,399 hours in all; 291 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,828 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 1992; 131 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EVV Evansville IN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PHN Port Huron MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 5,103 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:32 am from PHN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI93FA063.