Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Michigan, Michigan 00000
Saturday, July 18, 1992 11:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS DEPARTED BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN AT 1000, ENROUTE TO BEAVER ISLAND LOCATED IN NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. PILOT WAS RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM MINNEAPOLIS CENTER, AND REQUESTED A DESCENT NORTH OF TRAVERSE CITY TO GET BELOW A SCATTERED LAYER. DESCENT TOOK THE AIRPLANE BELOW RADAR COVERAGE, AND VFR SERVICES WERE TERMINATED. PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED 1200 TRANSPONDER CODE, AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS VFR AT 1200 FEET MSL. THIS WAS THE LAST CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE AT 1150. THE BROTHER OF ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, WHOM THE GROUP WAS GOING TO VISIT, ATTEMPTED TO CALL AND TELL THEM NOT TO COME BECAUSE THE ISLAND WAS ENGULFED BY HEAVY FOG, BUT THEY HAD ALREADY LEFT. HE REPORTED THE AIRPLANE MISSING AT 1700. COORDINATED SEARCH FOUND NO TRACE OF AIRPLANE OR OCCUPANTS. THREE WEEKS LATER, PERSON WALKING ON BEACH NEAR GOOD HART, MICHIGAN, FOUND AN AIRPLANE WHEEL AND WHEEL FAIRING. AIRPLANE AND OCCUPANTS ARE STILL MISSING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
UNDETERMINED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/18/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1150 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAKE MICHIGAN |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1145 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TVC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 624 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 505 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 20 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 615 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47904 |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2002 3:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4500E |
| NTSB Number | CHI92FAMS2 |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17271613 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 3310 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOM CRAMUTOLO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 331 LAKESHORE DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | BATTLE CREEK |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49015 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BATTLE CREEK AIR SERVICE, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3300 6TH AVE. |
| Operator City | BATTLE CREEK |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 49015 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BTL |
| Departure City | BATTLE CREEK |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SJX |
| Destination City | ST. JAMES |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2002 3:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| 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 | -- |