Beaver Island Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Beaver Island, Michigan 49782
Friday, July 8, 1994 15:40 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER, NEITHER OF WHOM WERE INSTRUMENT RATED, ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM AN AIRPORT ON AN ISLAND IN LAKE MICHIGAN. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN THE LAKE LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED LOW CEILINGS AND DENSE FOG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY ALL DAY. TWO PERSONS WHO WERE PILOTS WERE WORKING NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND REPORTED HEARING THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF, AND MAKE WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS A TURN TO COME BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THEY HEARD THE IMPACT OF THE AIRPLANE HITTING THE WATER. THE PILOT OBTAINED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM FLIGHT SERVICE AND WAS ADVISED OF IMC CONDITIONS AND FOG ALONG HIS PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Spatial disorientation of the pilot-in-command due to flight into known instrument meteorological conditions; factors in the accident were the fog and low ceiling.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/8/1994
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1540
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BEAVER ISLAND
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49782
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SJX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 270
Airport Elevation 670
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1794
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 8 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:41AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N88XH
NTSB Number CHI94LA226
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model T210M
Aircraft Series Identifier T210M
Aircraft Serial Number 21062388
Certified Max Gross Weight 3800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 20 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AURORA BLACKTOP, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1079 SARD AVE.
Aircraft Owner City MONTGOMERY
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60538
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code SJX
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1538
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ARR
Destination City AURORA
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --