Beaver Island Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St James, Michigan 49782
Friday, April 19, 1985 22:14 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A NIGHT ARRIVAL, THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT & CANCELED HIS IFR FLT PLAN. A WITNESS SAW THE LIGHTS OF THE ACFT AS IT CIRCLED THE DESTINATION ARPT. HE REPORTED THE ACFT HAD TURNED LEFT TO A SOUTHERLY HEADING, & SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE SAW A FLASH OF LIGHT. THE WITNESS WENT TO THE ARPT & OBSERVED THAT THE ARPT LIGHTING WAS ON. ALSO, HE NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO GROUND FOG & HE COULD SEE STARS OVERHEAD. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 0950 EST THE NEXT MORNING. THE ACFT HAD COLLIDED WITH TREES ABOUT 3000 FT SOUTHWEST OF THE WEST END OF RWY 9/27, THEN CRASHED & BURNED. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH A 70 FT TREE AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 690 FT MSL WHILE THE ACFT WAS ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. THE ARPT ELEVATION WAS 670 FT MSL. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. APRX 32 MI EAST AT PELLSTON, MI, THE 2150 EST WX WAS, IN PART: 5000 FT SCATTERED, 10,000 FT BROKEN, VISIBILITY 4 MI.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/19/1985
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2214
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ST JAMES
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49782
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BEAVER ISLAND
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SJX
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 215
Airport Elevation 670
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2150 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID PLN
Elevation of weather observation facility 720
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 32
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
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 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 7
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 7
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1159
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 20 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1005
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28504
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1334G
NTSB Number CHI85MA169
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 310R
Aircraft Series Identifier 310R
Aircraft Serial Number 310R0018
Certified Max Gross Weight 5500
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Feb 21 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 46
Airframe Hours 2800
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name S. M. ZONNEBLET
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1238 EUNA VISTA COURT
Aircraft Owner City HOLLAND
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49423
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 C19
Departure City HOLLAND
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 2045
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code SJX
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 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 3000
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --