OpenAirDocs.org

20100723040699A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 206 · Ludington, MI · July 23, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 23, 2010 · 10:17 local
Place
Ludington, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N82531
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN10FA465
Reported as
Cessna 206
Reported engine
Continental IO-520-F
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
4
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,660 total1,200 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N82531Registration cancelled Oct 26, 2010 · Cessna 206S/N U-206-01734 · Built 1971Airframe modelCessna 206

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Cessna 206, N82531 departed gratiot co. airport, Michigan, (amn) at 08:50 EDT on 07/23/2010 with the pilot and four passengers for rochester, MN (krst) . The aircraft was severly damaged when it was ditched in lake Michigan and sank about 5 miles west of Ludington mi. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to transport one of the passengers to the mayo clinic. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not associated with a charity organization. The patient and his wife were seated in the aft seats, seats 5 and 6. Thepatient's doctor was sitting in the middle row in seat 3 on the left and seat 4 had been removed. The pilot was in the left front seat and the pilot rated passenger was in the right front seat. The fuel tanks were filled to capacity the night before the flight. The pilot stated he leaned the mixture upon leveling off at 10,000 ft, to 14 gal/hr and all instrument readings were normal as he crossed the shoreline at Ludington. At 10:17 EDT, over the center of lake Michigan, the engine began to run roughly. The pilot stated that he noticed that the fuel flow was down to 8 to 10 gal/hr and he tried to richen the mixture. The pilot stated that he turned back to the Michigan shoreline due to 40 knot winds from the west. He reported to minneapolis air traffic cotrol center that he had lost power and moved the mixture to full rich. The pilot switched fuel tanks and tried the high boost pump. He stated that the boost pump gave him a short burst of power for a few seconds but then the engine failed completely. The aircraft decended through a cloud layer and impacted the water 4 miles from shore at approximatly 10:17 EDT and quickly sank. The pilot was found alive by a pleasure boat 38 min later. He stated that the coast guard helicopter flew directly over him but did not see him. All four passengers perished. The wreckage was discovered in 173 feet of water on 7/30/2010 by Michigan state police divers. The dive team recovered all of the bodies by 8/1/2010.

As the FAA filed it

CESSNA 206, N82531 DEPARTED GRATIOT CO. AIRPORT, MICHIGAN, (AMN) AT 08:50 EDT ON 07/23/2010 WITH THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS FOR ROCHESTER, MN (KRST) . THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS DITCHED IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND SANK ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF LUDINGTON MI. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TRANSPORT ONE OF THE PASSENGERS TO THE MAYO CLINIC. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A CHARITY ORGANIZATION.THE PATIENT AND HIS WIFE WERE SEATED IN THE AFT SEATS, SEATS 5 AND 6. THEPATIENT'S DOCTOR WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE ROW IN SEAT 3 ON THE LEFT AND SEAT 4 HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT AND THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WAS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED TO CAPACITY THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED HE LEANED THE MIXTURE UPON LEVELING OFF AT 10,000 FT, TO 14 GAL/HR AND ALL INSTRUMENT READINGS WERE NORMAL AS HE CROSSED THE SHORELINE AT LUDINGTON. AT 10:17 EDT, OVER THE CENTER OF LAKE MICHIGAN, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL FLOW WAS DOWN TO 8 TO 10 GAL/HR AND HE TRIED TO RICHEN THE MIXTURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TURNED BACK TO THE MICHIGAN SHORELINE DUE TO 40 KNOT WINDS FROM THE WEST. HE REPORTED TO MINNEAPOLIS AIR TRAFFIC COTROL CENTER THAT HE HAD LOST POWER AND MOVED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TRIED THE HIGH BOOST PUMP. HE STATED THAT THE BOOST PUMP GAVE HIM A SHORT BURST OF POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS BUT THEN THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. THE AIRCRAFT DECENDED THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER AND IMPACTED THE WATER 4 MILES FROM SHORE AT APPROXIMATLY 10:17 EDT AND QUICKLY SANK. THE PILOT WAS FOUND ALIVE BY A PLEASURE BOAT 38 MIN LATER. HE STATED THAT THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER FLEW DIRECTLY OVER HIM BUT DID NOT SEE HIM. ALL FOUR PASSENGERS PERISHED. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED IN 173 FEET OF WATER ON 7/30/2010 BY MICHIGAN STATE POLICE DIVERS. THE DIVE TEAM RECOVERED ALL OF THE BODIES BY 8/1/2010.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN10FA465Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportLudington, MIThe total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of accumulated debris in the fuel system from an undetermined source. Also causal was the inadequate annual maintenance inspection that did not include inspection of the firewall fuel strainer…Jul 23, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N82531 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19871114082449INormal Cruise · Mt Arlington, NJEngine quit en route due to fuel starvation. Landed on a highway. Found a clogged fuel vent.Nov 14, 1987