Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lansing, Michigan 48917
Monday, September 27, 1993 11:23 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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 LEFTHAND 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 DEGREE 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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

was 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.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/27/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1123
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LANSING
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48917
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1110 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID LAN
Elevation of weather observation facility 861
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 300
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
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 Moderate
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) 1951
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 27 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1110
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:38PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N242TC
NTSB Number CHI93FA378
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AERO COMMANDER
Aircraft Model 690A
Aircraft Series Identifier 690A
Aircraft Serial Number 11219
Certified Max Gross Weight 10250
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 11
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 29 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 4373
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address BUILDING 119
Aircraft Owner City KINCHLOE
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49788
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MIDWEST FLYING SERVICE, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address RT 1 BOX 705
Operator City RUDYARD
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 49780
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1117
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BTL
Destination City BATTLE CREEK
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
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 --