Piper PA-20 accident near Greenville, Michigan, September 20, 1994
On September 20, 1994 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N7061K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Michigan (Greenville Municipal airport). It was a personal 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
INCAPACITATION OF THE PILOT DUE TO A SEIZURE AND/OR LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY REPORT HIS MEDICAL INFORMATION ON HIS FAA MEDICAL APPLICATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1994 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Michigan · Greenville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7061K · no longer on the register · serial 20-166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HEARD THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE CALL IN HIS ENTRY TO THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, WHERE IT HAD COME TO REST AGAINST A TREE. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. ACCORDING TO A SHERIFF'S REPORT, THE PILOT HAD BEEN ON MEDICATION FOR EPILEPTIC SEIZURES; HOWEVER, THE ATTENDING DOCTOR WAS NOT AWARE THAT HE WAS A PILOT. THE PILOT'S LAST MEDICAL EXAM WAS ON 5/24/94, BUT REPORTEDLY, HE HAD NOT PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT HIS EPILEPTIC CONDITION TO THE DESIGNATED MEDICAL EXAMINER DURING APPLICATION FOR THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. A PATHOLOGIST THAT EXAMINED THE PILOT'S BODY ALSO NOTED THAT THE PILOT HAD SIGNIFICANT CARDIAC DISEASE. ACCORDING TO HIM, '. . . EITHER OF THESE MALADIES COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS-CONTROL . . . .'
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
- Flight time: 450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 27, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:00 pm
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.