Zone
Michigan

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 690A in Lansing: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1993 at 1123 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rockwell Grand Commander 690
Operator:
Midwest Flying Service
Registration:
N242TC
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lansing - Battle Creek
MSN:
690-11219
YOM:
1974
Location:
Lansing-Capital Region
Michigan
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
8790
Aircraft flight hours:
4373
Circumstances:
The airplane departed in IMC conditions on an IFR flight plan. Shortly after takeoff the pilot told the departure controller he had '...a problem.' The airplane's flight path was a series of left hand turns while performing descents and ascents. Reports of engine sounds varied from high rpm to low rpm. Many witnesses reported the airplane descending out of, and climbing into, clouds. The airplane was observed in a 45° angle descent, right wing low, as it collided with trees and the ground. The on-scene investigation found an intermittent electric gyro system inverter, a broken filament on the inverter power 'out' light bulb, electrically powered gyro's rotors did not have rotational damage, and a vacuum powered attitude indicator rotor with rotational damage. The pilot's toxicology report stated 45 mg/dl of ethanol detected in his muscle tissue.
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command not maintaining aircraft control during the intermittent operation of the electrically operated attitude gyro. Factor's associated with this accident are an fluctuating (intermittent) electrical system inverter and the pilot-in-command not performing remedial action by using the vacuum powered attitude gyro and other flight instruments once the airplane was making a series of climbs, descents, and heading changes.
Final Report:

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 10 in Chicago: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1980 at 1548 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 10
Operator:
Registration:
N253K
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chicago - Battle Creek
MSN:
10
YOM:
1974
Location:
Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs
Illinois
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3453
Captain / Total hours on type:
635.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
8845
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1163
Aircraft flight hours:
3196
Circumstances:
The airplane was unable to takeoff from Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs Airport runway 18, overran and crashed into Lake Michigan. A pilot and a passenger were killed while four other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft came to rest in 25 feet of water about 300 feet past the runway end.
Probable cause:
The flightcrew's failure to release the parking brake before the takeoff roll was started, which resulted in significant wheel/brake drag and a nosedown pitching moment that inhibited the aircraft's capability to effect a normal acceleration and rotation for takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the lack of adequate company checklist procedures to insure the timely release of the parking brakes.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P-3A-60-LO Orion near Battle Creek: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1966 at 2040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-3 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
152172
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Floyd Bennett Field – Glenview – Moffett
MSN:
185-5142
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
PE-05
Location:
Battle Creek
Michigan
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Floyd Bennett Field Airport in New York on a flight to Moffett Airbase, California, with an intermediate stop at Glenview Airport, Illinois, under call sign PE-05. At 2035LT, while cruising at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the crew informed ATC about his position. Shortly later, the airplane entered a spin, crossed the last cloud layer at an altitude of 3,000 feet in a right turn and struck the ground in a 60° nose down attitude at a speed of 800 km/h. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all four crew members were killed. The wreckage was found seven miles northeast of Battle Creek.
Crew:
Lt William E. Xiques, pilot,
Lt John P. Fitzmaurice III, copilot,
ADJ2 Charles J. Lurvey, flight engineer,
ADJ3 Larry W. Battson, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Investigations determined that there was no in-flight fire and no major structural failure had occurred. The plane was only about a year old at the time of the accident. The only clues were unintelligible voice transmissions at 2037 and again at 2039. The voice was masked by extreme high frequency background noise. Despite attempted computer analysis of the voice and an extended accident investigation, the cause was never determined. It was believed that some kind of catastrophic failure had occurred that incapacitated the crew. It was also surmised that it was possible that the windshield failed in-flight under decompression forces causing sound comparable to high velocity air in the cockpit. Not enough of the windshield was recovered to perform an analysis and come to any conclusions about this possibility.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Cincinnati: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1955 at 0904 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Castelton
Registration:
N999B
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Battle Creek – Lexington – Miami
MSN:
4255
YOM:
1942
Location:
Cincinnati
Kentucky
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Battle Creek Airport at 0733LT bound for Miami with an intermediate stop at Lexington, Kentucky. While cruising at an altitude between 700 and 900 feet, the left wing of the aircraft collided with the right engine of a Trans World Airlines (TWA) Martin 202 registered N93211 that just took off from Cincinnati-Greater Cincinnati Airport. Following the collision, both aircraft went into a dive and crashed in a snow covered field and a wooded area located in the suburb of Cincinnati. Both aircraft were completely destroyed upon impact and all 15 occupants on both airplanes were killed.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident was operation of the DC-3 in the control zone as unknown traffic, without clearance, very close to the base of, or in, the overcast.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-49E in Premier: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1942 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-49 (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-56093
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Battle Creek – Cincinnati – Florence
MSN:
1976
YOM:
1937
Location:
Premier
West Virginia
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
While approaching Cincinnati-Lunken Field Airport in poor weather conditions, the crew made three attempts to land without success. During the fourth attempt, the aircraft speed was too high and it hit hard the runway surface. The captain increased engine power and decided to continue to Florence, South Carolina. Few minutes later, while cruising in poor weather conditions (thunderstorm and turbulence), the aircraft banked left and right and eventually went out of control. From a height of 250 metres, it lost successively part of its wings and elevators, dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 21 occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Salvatore T. Barone,
S/Sgt Anthony W. Belcher,
Pvt Elmer Jesse Campbell,
Pvt Edward F. X. Carr,
S/Sgt Russell A. Carter,
S/Sgt Archie W. Champlin,
S/Sgt Joseph S. Cholewa,
S/Sgt Leo T. Colburn,
S/Sgt Horace M. Dickson Jr.,
Pvt Elmo G. Edmonds,
Pfc Lester S. Erickson,
S/Sgt George R. Eversull,
2nd Lt Walter Roy Faught Jr.,
2nd Lt Harry Ellsworth Haney,
2nd Lt Edwin Aaron Harness,
Cpl Claudius William Haywood III,
Pfc Denver W. Koeppe,
Cpl Kermit S. Masters,
S/Sgt Leon Anshelm Olin,
Pvt Chester F. Peterowski,
Cpl Bartola P. Purpura.
Probable cause:
According to the Board of investigations, it appears the aircraft lost parts of wings and elevators when it dove into the ground, most probably due to forces exceeding their design and certification. For undetermined reasons, the captain decided to continue the flight to Florence following a missed landing at Cincinnati Airport. Due to a heavy landing, the wings' and elevators' structure was slightly damaged and moderate to severe turbulence in the region also contributed to the wings' and elevator' structural weakness. Poor discipline and judgment is also reproached to both pilots as they should complete the landing procedure at Cincinnati and perform an inspection of the aircraft, which was not performed. Eventually, accumulation of ice on carburetors associated to a certain torsion during the hard landing was considered as a contributory factor as the carburetors did not work properly during the last segment of the flight.
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