Piper PA28 accident near Hastings, Michigan, October 18, 2018
On October 18, 2018 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA28, registered N41390, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hastings, Michigan (Hastings airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane landing sideways and a subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2018 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hastings, Michigan · Hastings · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 151, built 1974 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N41390 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, while observing the solo student pilot's flight from the ground, the approach looked good, but the airplane might have been fast. As the airplane flared, he noticed the right wing "kind of pop up" just before touchdown. Subsequently, the airplane landed sideways and exited the left side of the runway. The instructor added that the student was unsure of what happened but reported that he had just lost control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12.1 hours in all; 12.1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,464.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320E3D (piston); 849 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9D9 Hastings MI at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 9D9 Hastings MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.51 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KGRR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 27, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.