Piper PA-44-180 accident near Howell, Michigan, October 9, 1998
On October 9, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N3040A, was destroyed in an accident near Howell, Michigan (Livingston County Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain/exceed the Vmc airspeed during a go-around maneuver. Contributing factors were the shutting down of the left engine and the lack of recent experience in the type operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Howell, Michigan · Livingston County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3040A · registry record · serial 44-7995093
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot at the accident airport said he heard '...a pilot announce: 'Livingston, downwind 31, engine out.' Also, witnesses reported the airplane executing a go-around while over the approach threshold of runway 31, and a flight instructor witness said he saw the twin-engine airplane flying over an airplane that was on its landing roll. He said the twin-engine airplane was about 100 feet above the airplane on its landing roll. He said the airplane was '...nose high and flying about 60 to 70 knots, it was wallowing and not gaining altitude or airspeed.... [It] drifted to the right of the runway, slightly right wing down and gained about 50 additional feet. The plane stalled, dropped the left wing and turned vertically down. The plane hit nearly straight down....' Other witnesses confirmed what the flight instructor said and added the airplane's left engine's propeller was stopped. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the airframe, flight control system, or engines and accessories. According to the pilot's logbook, he flew the accident airplane 1.5 hours on September 23, 1998. The logbook showed that the next most recent flight in the model of accident airplane was November 27, 1996. The pilot who flew with the accident pilot on September 23, 1998, said, 'I felt he did the airwork OK. He did the Vmc demo correctly but didn't carry it through to the point of losing yaw control. The airspeed was... about 60 when he said 'that's it' and recovered, I don't believe he had full rudder into the good engine.'
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 575 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 13, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HUF Terre Haute IN at 5:30 pm
- Destination: OZW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:57 pm from OZW, 1 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.
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.