Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Marquette, Michigan 49855
Friday, November 22, 1991 21:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT DEPARTED AT NIGHT IN A FOUR SEAT AIRPLANE WITH A TOTAL OF FIVE PEOPLE. HIS PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING NOTED IMC ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT. FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS WERE ISSUED BY THE BRIEFER FOR MODERATE RIME AND MIXED ICING ALONG THE ENTIRE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO DEPART VFR AND AIR-FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN. HE RECEIVED SEVERAL INFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFINGS GIVING LOW IFR CONDITIONS AT HIS DESTINATION AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES JUST ABOVE FREEZING. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO COLLECT ICE. HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO THE ICE ACCRETION AND ULTIMATELY DESCENDED INTO TREES AND TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS, AND WAS NOT FITTED WITH ANY AIRFOIL/PROPELLER DEICE OR ANTI-ICING EQUIPMENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN AIRFRAME (WING) ICING AND THE INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DARKNESS WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/22/1991
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2130
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City MARQUETTE
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49855
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 11
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2155 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID SAW
Elevation of weather observation facility 1220
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 16
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2159
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46905
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:51AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N96147
NTSB Number CHI92LA033
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier 172P
Aircraft Serial Number 17276030
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 30 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 32
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BALDWIN AIRCRAFT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 175 SHERIDAN ROAD
Aircraft Owner City PALATINE
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60067
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BALDWIN AIRCRAFT
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 175 SHERIDAN ROAD
Operator City PALATINE
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60067
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 PWK
Departure City WHEELING
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1945
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MQT
Destination City MARQUETTE
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --