Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub, N9678P: Incident occurred August 17, 2019 in Oakland County, Michigan

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; East Michigan

Aircraft struck an anchored boat.

BIAM Inc

https://registry.faa.gov/N9678P

Date: 17-AUG-19
Time: 20:51:00Z
Regis#: N9678P
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA18
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP
State: MICHIGAN


Impounded: Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub


WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Michigan - The Oakland County Sheriff's office released more details about a float equipped plane crash north of West Bloomfield Township that happened this past weekend, and left several people with minor injuries.  

Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff Office Marine Unit and the West Bloomfield Township Police Department, Fire Department and Orchard Lake Police Department responded to Upper Straits Lake on the report of a seaplane that had crashed into three pontoon boats and then came to a rest in the lake. Several people were reported injured and missing.  

Due to the severity of the initial reports, the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team was used. Before the dive team arrived, everyone involved was found safe. 

Dive team members helped with recovering the plane.  The Federal Aviation Administration was also contacted and responded to the scene.

An investigation revealed that the pilot had tried to land the seaplane on the lake.  The pilot miscalculated and struck three pontoon boats and then struck a sand bar.

The pilot is a 41-year-old Redford Township man. Police described the passenger as a 29-year-old woman from Rochester Hills. 

People were injured while they were in the water and on the pontoon boats.  

Several people who were injured left the scene before the Marine Unit’s arrival. 

Many of the injured people refused medical treatment by paramedics from the West Bloomfield Township Fire Department and reportedly transported themselves to the hospital with minor injuries.  

The pilot suffered minor injuries to his leg and the passenger was not injured.  

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the scene and requested that the seaplane be impounded for inspection.  

The plane was removed from the lake by Byers Towing and transported to the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division Boat Yard. 

The Federal Aviation Administration will be conducting its own independent investigation.

Original article ➤ https://www.clickondetroit.com



ORCHARD LAKE, Michigan (WXYZ) — West Bloomfield Police, Orchard Lake Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit were called to a plane crash on Upper Straits Lake Saturday afternoon in Orchard Lake.

According to police, a float equipped plane crashed into a cluster of boats on a sandbar just before 5 p.m. According to witnesses, at least one person was taken to the hospital. No serious injuries were reported.

“I thought it was a joke. I thought he was coming down and he was going to go back up. But he came down and he just came right into us," said one of the boaters who was hit. She wasn't hurt, but said one of her friends suffered minor injuries.

Witness Oscar Brown was on the sandbar nearby and captured the crash on his cell phone.

“As the plane came down, I just started noticing that plane isn’t stopping," Brown said.

Sarah Fredericks, a nursing student, also happened to be nearby.

“[I] ran over there just to make sure everyone was alright. And I actually helped pull the passenger from the plane who was pretty shook up," she said.

The plane had two people, inside according to witnesses; female passenger and a male pilot.

It's unclear what, if any, charges the pilot could be facing, or what led up to the crash.

Witness Tristan Crimmins has been boating on Upper Straits Lake for five years, and he too was out on the sandbar when the plane crashed.

“Luckily there wasn’t anybody that was severely severely injured but there were a couple people that were pretty dinged up. But my first instinct was, this is really bad," Crimmins said.

As a boater, Crimmins said low flying seaplanes are often a concern on Upper Straits Lake. He said in the past he’s even been nervous towing people behind the boat.

“I don’t know if they’re trying to impress people, I don’t know what they’re doing. But when they’re touching down and trying to cause some kind of cool show, it’s all fun and games until something like that happens," he said.

We've reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration for additional information.

Story and video ➤ https://www.wxyz.com

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