Piper PA-12 accident near Neguanee, Michigan, September 2, 1999
On September 2, 1999, a Piper PA-12, registered N91901, was destroyed in an accident near Neguanee, Michigan. 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
the pilot failed to maintain clearance from the tower.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1999
- Place
- Neguanee, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N91901 · no longer on the register · serial 12-22
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The floatplane impacted a microwave tower at 2040 edt while maneuvering 1/4 mile from the lake where it typically landed. Official sunset was 2030 and the sun's azimuth was 283 degrees. The pilot had 'Defective distant vision, right eye, 20/60, uncorrectable.' A witness reported, 'It appeared as though he was doing a circle back towards his house-a routine I had seen him do many times before. This time ... he seemed to be flying much lower, closer to the trees, than usual. The witness reported, 'He appeared to have circled around again, and this time the engine was revved up considerably higher. Again, his flight was uncharacteristically low. I wondered whether it was [the pilot] flying the plane because I'd never seen him fly like this before.' He reported, 'I went into the house and within a few minutes I heard what sounded like a rifle blast.' The left pontoon was located about 46 feet from the base of the tower. It exhibited cable scratching and crushing and bending of its main strut. The main wreckage was located about 120 feet from the base of the tower. The inspection revealed no airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies. The propeller exhibited chordwise scratching, leading edge gouging, 'S' bending, and blade tip curl. The side lights on the tower were observed operating the night of the accident after the airplane had impacted the tower.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,136 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,188 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1999; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-TCA274 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Marquette MI
- Destination: Dead River Lake MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MQT, 2 miles away
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.