N6454R

On April 7, 1999, at 1815 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6454R, piloted by a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and a dual student, received substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while on approach to runway 23 (4,291 feet by 150 feet, dry/asphalt-concrete) at the Bishop International Airport, Flint, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The CFI and dual student reported no injuries. The flight originated from Dalton Airport, Flushing, Michigan, at 1800 and was en route to Bishop International Airport.

According to the CFI, while on approach to runway 23, the dual student reduced engine power in order to lose some altitude. When the aircraft reached the desired altitude, the throttle was advanced but no response was noted from the engine. The CFI took control of the aircraft, attempted to troubleshoot the loss of engine power, and then elected to land the aircraft in a parking lot north of the airport. Approximately 30 feet above ground level (agl), the aircraft collided with a light pole, impacted the terrain, and came to rest on an embankment near an exit ramp for I-75.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspection of the wreckage failed to reveal any apparent pre-accident anomalies with the aircraft or its engine.