Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Grand Haven, Michigan, March 15, 1993
On March 15, 1993 at about 4:38 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N15206, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Haven, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1993 · about 4:38 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Haven, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15206 · registry record · serial 28R-7335036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS REPORTEDLY FLYING TO JACKSON, MICHIGAN, TO TAKE A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PRACTICAL FLIGHT TEST FOR WHICH HE WAS SCHEDULED. THE PILOT DID NOT ARRIVE FOR THE FLIGHT TEST. THE FAA ARTCC COVERING THE FLIGHT AREA IDENTIFIED A TARGET WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY THE MISSING AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRPLANE TOWARD THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AND BEYOND IT, AS ERATIC. THE FLIGHT PATH INCLUDED A NUMBER OF TURNS WITH DESCENTS AND ASCENTS. EVENTUALLY, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. THE LAST RADAR CONTACT WAS 6,700 FEET MSL. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT LOCATED IN SPITE OF AIR AND LAND SEARCHES CONDUCTED BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL. THE AIRPLANE AND PILOT REMAIN MISSING.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 257 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 116 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Suburban Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 5G9 Lambertville MI at 3:15 pm
- Destination: JXN Jackson MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from TOL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 CHI93FAMS2.