Oceana County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Shelby, Michigan 49455
Saturday, November 3, 1990 16:50 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A SHORT VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO HIS HOME AIRPORT. THE AREA AROUND HIS HOME AIRPORT WAS FOGGED IN. VISIBILITY WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 3/4 OF A MILE WITH A CEILING VARYING FROM TREE TOP LEVEL TO 700 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THEY HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLYING AROUND THE AREA FOR 15 TO 30 MINUTES. THEY STATED IT WAS MAKING SOUNDS LIKE A 'CROP DUSTER'. TWO WITNESSES BRIEFLY SAW THE AIRPLANE COME OUT OF, AND RE-ENTER, THE LOW CLOUDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS, BANKING STEEPLY DURING A PULLUP MANEUVER AND STALLING. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AT A STEEP ANGLE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO IMC.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/3/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1650
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City SHELBY
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49455
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport OCEANA COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID C04
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 910
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
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 Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1783
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 3 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1713
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43513
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:33PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9409B
NTSB Number CHI91DEM01
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.)
Aircraft Model 415C
Aircraft Series Identifier 415C
Aircraft Serial Number 1421
Certified Max Gross Weight 1260
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 16 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ELMER N HALL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 279 KELLY ST.
Aircraft Owner City SHELBY
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49455
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ELMER N. HALL
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 279 KELLY ST.
Operator City SHELBY
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 49455
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 MKG
Departure City MUSKEGON
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code C04
Destination City SHELBY
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --