Wexford County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cadillac, Michigan 49601
Wednesday, October 9, 1985 20:50 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS CLEARED FOR AN NDB APPROACH TO CADILLAC. THE WKWAS 300 FT OVCST, 1 MILE VIS. SHORTLY AFTER CANCELLING IFR THE ACFT CRASHED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ARPT FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RWY. THE PILOT ACTIVATED RWY LIGHTS WERE NEVER TURNED ON DURING THE APPROACH. IT WAS A NEWLY COMMISSIONED SYSTEM NOT YET ON APPROACH PLATES. THEY WERE ON A NOTAM. AN NTAP REVEALED THAT THE ACFT WAS FOLLOWING THE RNAV FINAL APPROACH COURSE RATHER THAN THE NDB FINAL APPROACH COURSE. IN ADDITION, A LIGHTED CHRISTMAS TREE FARM WAS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. LASTLY, NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION COULD BE FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/9/1985
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2050
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CADILLAC
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49601
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WEXFORD COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CAD
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 270
Airport Elevation 1307
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
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 Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 40
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 1
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 Moderate
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2428
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 10 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2045
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29836
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N254PW
NTSB Number CHI86FA007
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 GULFSTREAM
Aircraft Model 690A
Aircraft Series Identifier 690A
Aircraft Serial Number 11275
Certified Max Gross Weight 9000
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Sep 28 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 20
Airframe Hours 6678
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THOMAS WILES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 302
Operator City SWANTON
Operator State OH
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 43558
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code TOL
Departure City TOLEDO
Departure State OH
Departure Country
Departure Time 1858
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 Descent
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 25
Runway Length 4542
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --