Piper PA-32-260 accident near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, August 28, 1998
On August 28, 1998 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N4887S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan (Chippewa County 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 maintain clearance between the airplane and the runway marker. A factor contributing to this accident was the runway marker.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1998 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sault Ste Marie, Michigan · Chippewa County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N4887S · registry record · serial 32-7100011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was back taxiing on runway 16 to position himself for takeoff on runway 34. While taxiing, the pilot noticed a deer on the east side of the runway. The pilot taxied along the west side of the runway, just outside of the runway lights. The pilot looked back over his shoulder to look for the deer. When he turned around, the pilot said he noticed that the airplane was too close to the runway lights. The pilot swerved the airplane to the right, where it subsequently struck the runway marker. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,900 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 7,900 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,989 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 1998; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIU at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 7,201 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from APN, 80 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.
Other NTSB records under N4887S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.