What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Sunday, January 17, 2010, david otai arrived at Tulip City Airport at 8AM with a female passenger. He was given the keys and documents for the aircraft after his certificate file was verified. Mr. Otai decided not to fly right away due to the weather and asked that the aircraft be fueled to full tanks while he gave his passenger a tour of the facility. At approximately 9:45AM EST Mr. Otai and his passenger boarded the aircraft and departed runway 08 at Tulip City making only a single takeoff call on 123.05. No flight plan was filed. The weather was reported to be 200 ft overcast with ½ mile visibility calm winds and ice fog. The aircraft was heard flying low above the hangars in a north south direction. N8405E called muskegon approach at 9:59:45 and received no reply. 25 seconds later he called again and stated "uh, N405E uh caught in some fog and would like uh vectors to runway 8 for Tulip City." The controller replied, "N405E muskegon approach, uh…your IFR sir?" He replied, "uh, just want to file a quick IFR into Tulip City." Approach came back with, "N405E roger, contact flight service, I believe you might be able to reach them on 122.05." N8405E came back one minute later unable to contact flight watch. Muskegon approach responded with," N8405E I think I may have given you the wrong frequency try 122.1" one minute later the pilot stated that he was unable to "get a hold of flight service". Muskegon approach responded with "roger and ...uh... The frequency is actually 122.5 for lansing flight service. Uh but you are wanting to just file a flight plan?" He replied," uh 5…8405E, caught in some heavy fog and we would just like vectors to Tulip City Airport." Approach then asked if he was IFR. His last and final response came at 10:04:13 –"uh, was VFR and now have to go in for an emergency." Muskegon approach control assigned a beacon code of 0430. No further transmissions were heard from N8405E. His last radar contact was at 1500AGL 4 miles sw of Tulip City. Muskegon approach continued to attempt to contact the aircraft for one hour and was told, 30 minutes after the last contact, that an emergency locating beacon had been activated in the area.. Aircraft wreckage was spotted 4 miles south of the airport. The aircraft impacted the ground, nose down, right wing low, in an open field on a south west heading. The propeller showed signs that the engine was producing power. The transponder was set to 1200. The debris field was two hundred feet long with the majority of the aircraft remaining together. Both occupants received fatal injuries on impact.
As the FAA filed it
SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2010, DAVID OTAI ARRIVED AT TULIP CITY AIRPORT AT 8AM WITH A FEMALE PASSENGER. HE WAS GIVEN THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS FOR THE AIRCRAFT AFTER HIS CERTIFICATE FILE WAS VERIFIED. MR. OTAI DECIDED NOT TO FLY RIGHT AWAY DUE TO THE WEATHER AND ASKED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BE FUELED TO FULL TANKS WHILE HE GAVE HIS PASSENGER A TOUR OF THE FACILITY. AT APPROXIMATELY 9:45AM EST MR. OTAI AND HIS PASSENGER BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 08 AT TULIP CITY MAKING ONLY A SINGLE TAKEOFF CALL ON 123.05. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED TO BE 200 FT OVERCAST WITH ½ MILE VISIBILITY CALM WINDS AND ICE FOG. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEARD FLYING LOW ABOVE THE HANGARS IN A NORTH SOUTH DIRECTION. N8405E CALLED MUSKEGON APPROACH AT 9:59:45 AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. 25 SECONDS LATER HE CALLED AGAIN AND STATED "UH, N405E UH CAUGHT IN SOME FOG AND WOULD LIKE UH VECTORS TO RUNWAY 8 FOR TULIP CITY." THE CONTROLLER REPLIED, "N405E MUSKEGON APPROACH, UH…YOUR IFR SIR?" HE REPLIED, "UH, JUST WANT TO FILE A QUICK IFR INTO TULIP CITY." APPROACH CAME BACK WITH, "N405E ROGER, CONTACT FLIGHT SERVICE, I BELIEVE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO REACH THEM ON 122.05." N8405E CAME BACK ONE MINUTE LATER UNABLE TO CONTACT FLIGHT WATCH. MUSKEGON APPROACH RESPONDED WITH," N8405E I THINK I MAY HAVE GIVEN YOU THE WRONG FREQUENCY TRY 122.1" ONE MINUTE LATER THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO "GET A HOLD OF FLIGHT SERVICE". MUSKEGON APPROACH RESPONDED WITH "ROGER AND ...UH... THE FREQUENCY IS ACTUALLY 122.5 FOR LANSING FLIGHT SERVICE. UH BUT YOU ARE WANTING TO JUST FILE A FLIGHT PLAN?" HE REPLIED," UH 5…8405E, CAUGHT IN SOME HEAVY FOG AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE VECTORS TO TULIP CITY AIRPORT." APPROACH THEN ASKED IF HE WAS IFR. HIS LAST AND FINAL RESPONSE CAME AT 10:04:13 –"UH, WAS VFR AND NOW HAVE TO GO IN FOR AN EMERGENCY." MUSKEGON APPROACH CONTROL ASSIGNED A BEACON CODE OF 0430. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE HEARD FROM N8405E. HIS LAST RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 1500AGL 4 MILES SW OF TULIP CITY. MUSKEGON APPROACH CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT FOR ONE HOUR AND WAS TOLD, 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST CONTACT, THAT AN EMERGENCY LOCATING BEACON HAD BEEN ACTIVATED IN THE AREA.. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SPOTTED 4 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW, IN AN OPEN FIELD ON A SOUTH WEST HEADING. THE PROPELLER SHOWED SIGNS THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER. THE TRANSPONDER WAS SET TO 1200. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS TWO HUNDRED FEET LONG WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT REMAINING TOGETHER. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES ON IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.