Oakland-Troy Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Troy, Michigan 48099
Wednesday, July 17, 1985 10:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON JULY 17,1985 AT 1015 EDT, A ROBERT THIBODEAU JR ACE N3642, REGISTERED TO AND FLOWN BY ROBERT THIBODEAU, LOST CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN ON TAKEOFF AT TROY OAKLAND AIRPORT, TROY,MICHIGAN, WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TROY, MICHIGAN ON JULY 17,1985 AT 1013 EDT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/17/1985
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1015
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City TROY
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48099
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport OAKLAND-TROY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 7D2
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 730
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 954 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 30
Weather Observation Facility ID DET
Elevation of weather observation facility 639
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
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) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1595
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 17 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1258
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28972
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 N3642
NTSB Number CHI85LA295
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ROBERT THIBODEAU
Aircraft Model JR ACE
Aircraft Series Identifier JR ACE
Aircraft Serial Number 6466
Certified Max Gross Weight 839
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 12 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 1
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT THIBODEAU
Aircraft Owner Street Address 62 E. COY
Aircraft Owner City HAZEL PARK
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 48030
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code 7D2
Departure City TROY
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1013
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
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 9
Runway Length 3855
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --