Piper PA-24-180 accident near Ludington, Michigan, October 25, 1992
On October 25, 1992 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N6345P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ludington, Michigan (Mason County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT ON A NIGHT FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1992 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Ludington, Michigan · Mason County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6345P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1455
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE '...LOST THE ABILITY TO CLIMB/MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.' EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO THE TREE TOPS. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT PROPELLER ASSEMBLY FAILURE. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THE TOP PISTON RING IN THE #1 CYLINDER WAS BROKEN, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF SCORING ON THE CYLINDER WALL. THE RIGHT MAGNETO OPERATION WAS INTERMITTENT, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER RPM SETTINGS. THE ENGINE TOTAL TIME WAS 3,169.9 HOURS, AND TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL WAS 2,064.5 HOURS. THE AIRPLANE HAD OPERATED 2.4 HOURS SINCE THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,250 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 951 as pilot in command; 485 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,170 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 7, 1992; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Zeeland Aero Club, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LDM at 1:00 am
- Destination: NONE Zeeland MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.