| Crash location | 42.911111°N, 82.528889°W |
| Nearest city | Port Huron, MI
42.975863°N, 82.478806°W 5.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N5891H |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 18 Sep 2004 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-16 |
| Additional details: | None |
On September 18, 2004, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-16, N5891H, experienced a loss of directional control while landing on runway 04 (5,103 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the St. Clair County Airport, Port Huron, Michigan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Waterford, Michigan, at 1430.
The pilot reported the airplane "... lost directional control swerving to right because right landing gear broke. Aircraft slid off runway - scrapping right wing tip."
According to airport personnel the airplane veered to the left coming to rest off the left side of the runway with the right main landing gear folded under the fuselage. Inspection of the runway revealed two skid marks which veered to the left, followed by another skid mark which contained a gouge in the runway.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll which resulted in the overload failure of the right main landing gear.