Fremont Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fremont, Michigan 49412
Thursday, September 25, 1997 12:25 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Witnesses said the surplus military trainer took off, retracted its landing gear, and accelerated as it flew about 10 to 15-feet above the runway. As it crossed the end of the departure runway it pitched up '...nearly vertical... .' The airplane continued to climb until it stalled, yaw-rolled to the left, pitched down, and changed its heading about 135-degrees. The airplane descended toward the ground at a witness reported 45-degree angle. One witness stated the engine was running at' ...full power... .' The airplane collided with the ground, slid to a stop, and a fire occurred. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe, flight control system, or engine. The pilot had flown this airplane about 11.1 hours total time since receiving a checkout in the airplane by a pilot without a flight instructors certificate about 3-months before the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Also causal was the pilot's ostentatious display.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/25/1997
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1225
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City FREMONT
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49412
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FREMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3FM
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 240
Airport Elevation 772
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1155 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 50
Weather Observation Facility ID MKG
Elevation of weather observation facility 772
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 23
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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) 1595
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 25 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1205
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:33PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N777SU
NTSB Number CHI97FA300
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model T34B
Aircraft Series Identifier T34B
Aircraft Serial Number BG-159
Certified Max Gross Weight 2985
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 30 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SUZANNE D. PARISH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1 BEAUNUCHI LANE
Aircraft Owner City HICKORY CORNERS
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49060
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 3FM
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1225
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code 3FM
Destination City
Destination State
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 --