ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 140220
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| Date: | Saturday 3 December 2011 |
| Time: | 20:10 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six |
| Owner/operator: | Great Lakes Air Inc |
| Registration: | N33315 |
| MSN: | 32-7500017 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11327 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-E4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lake Huron shore, about 3.5 miles north of St. Ignace, MI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | St. Ignace, MI (83D) |
| Mackinac Island, MI (MCD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed the mainland to drop a passenger off on an island located about 5 miles off shore. The pilot did not land on the island but was returning to the departure airport with the passenger still on board when the airplane contacted trees and terrain about 1.4 miles north of the departure airport. According to witnesses and weather observations, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at both the departure and destination airports around the time of the accident, including rain and fog conditions. The flight was being operated under night visual flight rules. The accident site was located between a brightly lit casino/hotel resort and the airport. The pilot most likely located the casino/hotel and was following the shoreline back to the airport when the accident occurred. A witness reported hearing the airplane before the impact. No preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to initiate visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent failure to maintain adequate altitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Dec-2011 09:54 | gerard57 | Added |
| 04-Dec-2011 14:21 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 05-Dec-2011 06:48 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Dec-2011 23:36 | Geno | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Jan-2013 11:31 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 17:37 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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