Pilot Avoided Homes Near Prison

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the downing of a Piper Apache Monday that almost came down inside the fence of a prison on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

There's no word on the identities of the four on board, although Michigan state police say all were from Wisconsin. We also know the flight left Waukesha early Monday morning, en route to Sault St. Marie.

Witnesses say the pilot apparently took evasive action as he tried to bring the plane down... narrowly missing several housing units associated with the Chippewa Correctional Facility.

It hit an outer perimeter fence as it crashed... but no one inside the prison was hurt. Chippewa houses about 1,500 prisoners at several different levels of security.

**   Report created 8/15/2006   Record 1
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 133BH        Make/Model: PA23      Description: PA-23-150/160 Apache
  Date: 08/14/2006     Time: 0918

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SAULT SAINT MARIE   State: MI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, IN THE VICINITY OF CHIPPEWA COUNTY AIRPORT, SAULT SAINT
  MARIE, MI

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   4
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR 141315Z AUTO 21004KT 1 1/4 SM OVC003 17/16 A2969

OTHER DATA

  Departed: WAUKESHA, WI                Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: SAULT STE MARIE, MI      Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: GRAND RAPIDS, MI  (GL09)              Entry date: 08/15/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov