Phelps-Collins Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Alpena, Michigan 49707
Thursday, March 13, 1986 22:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARRIVAL AT 2125 EST, SIMMONS AIRLINE FLT 1746 WAS ADZD BY WURTSMITH AFB APCH CTL THAT THE 2052 EST WX AT PHELPS COLLINS ARPT WAS: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCD, CEILING 100' OVERCAST, VIS 1/2 MI WITH LGT DRIZZLE & FOG, & TO EXPECT AN ILS APCH. HOWEVER, AT 2119, A SPL WX OBS WAS TAKEN WHICH SHOWED THE VIS HAD DECREASED TO 3/8 MI, WHICH WAS BLO MINS. THIS INFO HAD NOT REACH WURTSMITH UNTIL SOMETIME LATER SINCE THE SYS FOR SENDING WX FROM PELLSTON FSS TO WURTSMITH WAS NOT AUTOMATED & WAS SLOW. FLT 1746 CONTD THE APCH, BUT THE PLTS DID NOT CLRLY SEE THE RWY LGTS, SO THEY MADE A MISSED APCH &ELECTED TO MAKE A 2ND ILS APCH. AT 2146, ANOTHER SPL WX OBS WAS TAKEN WHICH SHOWED THE VIS HAD DECREASED FURTHER TO 1/4 MI. THIS INFO WAS PROVIDED TO THE SIMMONS STATION MGR AT ALPENA, WHO TRIED TO CONTACT FLT 1746, BUT WAS UNABLE. AT APRX 2200 EST, THE ACFT HIT TREES & CRASHED ABOUT 1-1/2 MI SHORT OF RWY 1. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT FLT 1746 HAD CONTD BLO THEILS GLIDE SLOPE & DECISION HEIGHT (DH) WITHOUT OBTAINING VISUAL REFERENCE OF THE RWY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/13/1986
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2200
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ALPENA
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49707
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport PHELPS-COLLINS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID APN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 689
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID APN
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 100
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
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) 60
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 3
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 5
Injury Total All 9
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1335
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 13 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30752
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:33PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1356P
NTSB Number DCA86AA021
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name EMBRAER
Aircraft Model EMB-110P1
Aircraft Series Identifier EMB-110P1
Aircraft Serial Number 110370
Certified Max Gross Weight 12500
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 17
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 9698
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TITAN PARTNERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City CHICAGO
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SIMMONS AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City MARQUETTE
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DTW
Departure City DETRIOT
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 2037
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 1
Runway Length 9001
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --