Houghton County Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Houghton, Michigan
Friday, September 10, 1982 20:34 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES WHILE MAKING AN ILS APPROACH TO HOUGHTON COUNTY MEMORIAL ARPT, HANCOCK, MI. THE WEATHER WAS IMC AND AN IFR FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE HELD IN THE ACFT BY SEAT BELTS AND WERE FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH AND POST CRASH FIRE. THE FLT ORIGINATED AT BAY CITY, MI ABOUT 2 HRS & 15 MIN BEFORE THE CRASH. INBOUND TO HOUGHTON THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER UPDATE WITH VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE. WHEN ASKED IF HE WANTED TO TRY AN APPROACH HE SAID "I'LL TAKE A LOOK". AND "IF WE DON'T MAKE IT WE'LL NEED SOME PLACE TO GO". NO ALTERNATE HAD BEEN FILED ON HIS FLT PLAN. NO MORE TRANSMISSIONS WERE MADE AND 6 MINUTES AFTER THE PILOTS LAST STATEMENT A LOCAL RESIDENT CALLED HOUGHTON FSS AND REPORTED HEARING AN ACFT CRASH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/10/1982
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2034
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HOUGHTON
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1982
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport HOUGHTON COUNTY MEMORIAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CMX
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 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 2040
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CMX
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
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) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 66
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2956
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Oct 31 2002 4:04PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5518Q
NTSB Number CHI82FA350
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 MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20E
Aircraft Series Identifier M20E
Aircraft Serial Number 612
Certified Max Gross Weight 2575
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 20
Airframe Hours 1428
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KYOKO SIMMONS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3822 MACK RD
Aircraft Owner City SAGINAW
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name KYOKO SIMMONS
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 3822 MACK RD
Operator City SAGINAW
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 --
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
Departure City BAY CITY
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1825
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City HOUGHTON
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 18 2002 4:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 31
Runway Length 6500
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --