Emmet County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Carp Lake, Michigan 49718
Saturday, December 14, 1985 15:38 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT REPORTED A PROBLEM WITH HIS #1 NAV, BUT SAID HE WOULD TRY TO MAKE AN ILS APCH. HE SAID HE WOULD RETURN TO PONTIAC, IF HIS ILS DID NOT WORK. ARTCC CLEARED HIM FOR THE ILS RWY 32 APCH & INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTACT PELLSTON RADIO (FSS). AT 1525, HE CALLED THE FSS & REPORTED HE WAS 20 MI SOUTH. AT APRX 1534, THE FSS SPECIALIST HEARD AN ACFT FLY OVER, BUT DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS N24RT. HE ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS MAKING A MISSED APCH. THE PLT GAVE A NEGATIVE REPLY & REPORTED HE WAS PICKING UP THE GLIDE SLOPE, THEN SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS #1 NAV. A WITNESS ABOUT 6 MI NORTH & WEST OF THE ARPT SAW THE ACFT ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES, CRASHED & BURNED APRX 8 MI FROM THE ARPT AT AN APRX ELEV OF 900 FT. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 720 FT. THE NAV EQUIPMENT WAS TOO BADLY DAMAGED DRG THE ACDNT TO BE TESTED. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT RADIO LOG, THE LAST VOR CHECK WAS ON 9/10/83. THE PLT HAD LOGGED 5.4 HRS OF INSTRUMENT TIME DRG THE PREV 6 MOS, BUT HAD NOT LOGGED ANY APCHS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/14/1985
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1538
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City CARP LAKE
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49718
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport EMMET COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PLN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 6
Degrees magnetic from airport 160
Airport Elevation 720
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1545 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 160
Weather Observation Facility ID PLN
Elevation of weather observation facility 720
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
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) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
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 5
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2709
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 14 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1625
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30422
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 N24RT
NTSB Number CHI86MA047
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model B-60
Aircraft Series Identifier B-60
Aircraft Serial Number P-329
Certified Max Gross Weight 6775
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 18 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 16
Airframe Hours 2684
ELT Installed Unknown
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 COMMANDER CHARTER, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 30200 TELEGRAPH ROAD
Operator City BIRMINGHAM
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 48010
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 PIK
Departure City PONTIAC
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1416
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PLN
Destination City PELLSTON
Destination State MI
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 32
Runway Length 6512
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --