What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 26, 2023 at 1030 local time, a Socata tbm 700 aircraft, privacy data omitted privacy data omitted and flown by an instrument rated private pilot was destroyed following a loss of control and subsequent impact shortly after departure from the Mason County Airport (ldm), Ludington, Michigan. Instrument meteorological conditions with heavy snow prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 with a flight plan. Both the pilot and commercial rated passenger received fatal injuries.
A witness stated the pilot performed preflight and flight planning activities prior to pulling the aircraft out from an unheated hangar. The couple boarded the aircraft along with their 2 large dogs, started and taxied to the departure end of runway 08 in heavy snowfall. The aircraft takeoff roll and rotation appeared normal. Once airborne, the witness states, the aircraft appeared to initiate a left turn prior to disappearing into the cloud ceiling. The witness thought the pilot maybe returning, but within minutes began to receive calls of the accident. It should be noted, the witness felt it necessary to photograph the aircraft while it was taxiing for departure to show the heavy snowfall at the time. Weather was reported as: 14003KT 3/4SM-SN OVC004 M01/M01 A2982.
Another witness, while walking her dog just north of the airport, heard the accident aircraft, stating it sounded like it was in a dive. She then immediately viewed the aircraft come from clouds nose low and 90 degree left wing down. The aircraft then dropped from her view behind the tree line followed by the sound of the impact.
Investigation shows the accident site ¼ mile north of the runway centerline, mid-field. The aircraft came to rest on a heading of 120 degrees with a 100-foot debris field showing a flight heading of 285 degrees at time of impact. Initial ground scar shows a crater and debris field consistent with a left-wing strike and subsequent cartwheeling of the aircraft. The cockpit section was upright highly fragmented and consumed by post-crash fire. Aft section of passenger area was found on its right side with the empennage broken free and upright. Both wings were highly fragmented with the right wing still attached. The left wing was separated from the fuselage and found in front of the aircraft. All five propellor blades were sheared off at the hub with the hub remaining attached to the engine. The engine showed extensive impact damage but remained attached to the firewall. From the firewall rearward to the aft passenger seats extensive impact and thermal damage was observed. All parts of the aircraft were found at the impact site. No flight or engine control continuity could be established, but all cable brakes were found to show signs of overload failure. No mechanical issues could be found during the onsite investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 26, 2023 AT 1030 LOCAL TIME, A SOCATA TBM 700 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND FLOWN BY AN INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE MASON COUNTY AIRPORT (LDM), LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH HEAVY SNOW PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITH A FLIGHT PLAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND COMMERCIAL RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
A WITNESS STATED THE PILOT PERFORMED PREFLIGHT AND FLIGHT PLANNING ACTIVITIES PRIOR TO PULLING THE AIRCRAFT OUT FROM AN UNHEATED HANGAR. THE COUPLE BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT ALONG WITH THEIR 2 LARGE DOGS, STARTED AND TAXIED TO THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 08 IN HEAVY SNOWFALL. THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF ROLL AND ROTATION APPEARED NORMAL. ONCE AIRBORNE, THE WITNESS STATES, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO INITIATE A LEFT TURN PRIOR TO DISAPPEARING INTO THE CLOUD CEILING. THE WITNESS THOUGHT THE PILOT MAYBE RETURNING, BUT WITHIN MINUTES BEGAN TO RECEIVE CALLS OF THE ACCIDENT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, THE WITNESS FELT IT NECESSARY TO PHOTOGRAPH THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IT WAS TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE TO SHOW THE HEAVY SNOWFALL AT THE TIME. WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS: 14003KT 3/4SM-SN OVC004 M01/M01 A2982.
ANOTHER WITNESS, WHILE WALKING HER DOG JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT, HEARD THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, STATING IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS IN A DIVE. SHE THEN IMMEDIATELY VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT COME FROM CLOUDS NOSE LOW AND 90 DEGREE LEFT WING DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DROPPED FROM HER VIEW BEHIND THE TREE LINE FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT.
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THE ACCIDENT SITE ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, MID-FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 120 DEGREES WITH A 100-FOOT DEBRIS FIELD SHOWING A FLIGHT HEADING OF 285 DEGREES AT TIME OF IMPACT. INITIAL GROUND SCAR SHOWS A CRATER AND DEBRIS FIELD CONSISTENT WITH A LEFT-WING STRIKE AND SUBSEQUENT CARTWHEELING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE COCKPIT SECTION WAS UPRIGHT HIGHLY FRAGMENTED AND CONSUMED BY POST-CRASH FIRE. AFT SECTION OF PASSENGER AREA WAS FOUND ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH THE EMPENNAGE BROKEN FREE AND UPRIGHT. BOTH WINGS WERE HIGHLY FRAGMENTED WITH THE RIGHT WING STILL ATTACHED. THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND FOUND IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL FIVE PROPELLOR BLADES WERE SHEARED OFF AT THE HUB WITH THE HUB REMAINING ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE SHOWED EXTENSIVE IMPACT DAMAGE BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL. FROM THE FIREWALL REARWARD TO THE AFT PASSENGER SEATS EXTENSIVE IMPACT AND THERMAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. ALL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND AT THE IMPACT SITE. NO FLIGHT OR ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD BE ESTABLISHED, BUT ALL CABLE BRAKES WERE FOUND TO SHOW SIGNS OF OVERLOAD FAILURE. NO MECHANICAL ISSUES COULD BE FOUND DURING THE ONSITE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.