What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 12, 2026, at approximately 1800 local time, a ZZ-102 aircraft, privacy data omitted, registered to and flown by an airline transport pilot, suffered substantial damage following a loss of power and subsequent impact shortly after departure from the Thrall Lake Airport (7MI3), Vicksburg, Michigan. In the area marginal visual meteorological conditions (MVFR) conditions prevailed with ceilings at 2200’ broken and winds from 200 at 05 knots. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 between 7MI3 and prairie ronde airport (MI09), schoolcraft Michigan. Both the pilot and passenger received critical injuries and medevac’d via air ambulance to local hospitals.
The accident site is located in a corn field approximately .2 NM at a heading of 310 from the approach end of runway (rwy) 13 at 7MI3. The aircraft came to rest on a heading of 180 degrees with a 37-foot debris field showing a direction of travel of 090 degrees at time of impact. Initial ground scarring and debris field are consistent with a right-wing strike, contact with the ground, followed by contact with the under-side of a fixed irrigation tower, and subsequent spinning of the aircraft.
The cockpit section was found upright, pitching forward and right wing down. The left landing gear was found collapsed. The tail section was found twisted to the right side of the aircraft. The right wing was found initially intact, but first responder accounts show that the wing was removed with manual bolt cutters to evacuate the pilot and passenger. The left wing was found cut into 2 pieces. Witness marks on the fixed irrigation tower indicate a possible impact, causing damage to the left wing.
The propeller was found to have very limited damage, consistent with no drive or power from the engine. The engine showed significant impact damage but remained attached to the firewall. All cables and linkages appeared to be intact. No mechanical issues could be found during the initial onsite investigation.
Upon futher inspection by an FAA airworthiness team, the fuel filter located at the low point of the fuel system was removed first. The filter was in a clear plastic housing showing sediment, evidence of corrosion at the bottom of the filter, and the appearance of moisture in the housing. The corrosion found in the filter housing appeared to have resulted from long term exposure to water. Inspection of the fuel system found the fuel tanks were composite material. The fuel system contained minimal amounts of metal that could have been associated with the creation of corrosion.
The fuel system did not appear to have a fuel sump. The fuel line from the fuel filter to the carburetor was removed and inspected. The line showed corrosion at the connection ferrule ends and small amounts of debris within the line.
The carburetor was found in the mostly upright position. Upon further inspection the carburetor halves were opened finding the filter bowl appeared to be in an almost new condition. No fuel or fuel staining was present in the bowl.
The engine ignition plugs were removed, and the cylinders and a general visual inspection occurred. Cylinders 1, 3, and 4 found no significant findings and the ignition plugs appeared in a new condition. Cylinder 2 showed signs of oil and was significantly different from the other three cylinders.
At this time, the evidence of the suggests the aircraft engine stoppage experienced fuel starvation that may have resulted from “liquid lock” as both the fuel filter bowl and carburetor did not have residual fuel, however fuel flowed when the fuel system line was opened to drain the aircraft fuel tanks.
At this time, due to medical conditions of the pilot, an interview is not possible. Further information may become available upon continued investigation and may ammend reporting results.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 12, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 LOCAL TIME, A ZZ-102 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTERED TO AND FLOWN BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE THRALL LAKE AIRPORT (7MI3), VICKSBURG, MICHIGAN. IN THE AREA MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (MVFR) CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH CEILINGS AT 2200’ BROKEN AND WINDS FROM 200 AT 05 KNOTS. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 BETWEEN 7MI3 AND PRAIRIE RONDE AIRPORT (MI09), SCHOOLCRAFT MICHIGAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED CRITICAL INJURIES AND MEDEVAC’D VIA AIR AMBULANCE TO LOCAL HOSPITALS.
THE ACCIDENT SITE IS LOCATED IN A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY .2 NM AT A HEADING OF 310 FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY (RWY) 13 AT 7MI3. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 180 DEGREES WITH A 37-FOOT DEBRIS FIELD SHOWING A DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF 090 DEGREES AT TIME OF IMPACT. INITIAL GROUND SCARRING AND DEBRIS FIELD ARE CONSISTENT WITH A RIGHT-WING STRIKE, CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, FOLLOWED BY CONTACT WITH THE UNDER-SIDE OF A FIXED IRRIGATION TOWER, AND SUBSEQUENT SPINNING OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE COCKPIT SECTION WAS FOUND UPRIGHT, PITCHING FORWARD AND RIGHT WING DOWN. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND COLLAPSED. THE TAIL SECTION WAS FOUND TWISTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT WING WAS FOUND INITIALLY INTACT, BUT FIRST RESPONDER ACCOUNTS SHOW THAT THE WING WAS REMOVED WITH MANUAL BOLT CUTTERS TO EVACUATE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND CUT INTO 2 PIECES. WITNESS MARKS ON THE FIXED IRRIGATION TOWER INDICATE A POSSIBLE IMPACT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING.
THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND TO HAVE VERY LIMITED DAMAGE, CONSISTENT WITH NO DRIVE OR POWER FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DAMAGE BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL. ALL CABLES AND LINKAGES APPEARED TO BE INTACT. NO MECHANICAL ISSUES COULD BE FOUND DURING THE INITIAL ONSITE INVESTIGATION.
UPON FUTHER INSPECTION BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS TEAM, THE FUEL FILTER LOCATED AT THE LOW POINT OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS REMOVED FIRST. THE FILTER WAS IN A CLEAR PLASTIC HOUSING SHOWING SEDIMENT, EVIDENCE OF CORROSION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FILTER, AND THE APPEARANCE OF MOISTURE IN THE HOUSING. THE CORROSION FOUND IN THE FILTER HOUSING APPEARED TO HAVE RESULTED FROM LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO WATER. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM FOUND THE FUEL TANKS WERE COMPOSITE MATERIAL. THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF METAL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CREATION OF CORROSION.
THE FUEL SYSTEM DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A FUEL SUMP. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL FILTER TO THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED. THE LINE SHOWED CORROSION AT THE CONNECTION FERRULE ENDS AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS WITHIN THE LINE.
THE CARBURETOR WAS FOUND IN THE MOSTLY UPRIGHT POSITION. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE CARBURETOR HALVES WERE OPENED FINDING THE FILTER BOWL APPEARED TO BE IN AN ALMOST NEW CONDITION. NO FUEL OR FUEL STAINING WAS PRESENT IN THE BOWL.
THE ENGINE IGNITION PLUGS WERE REMOVED, AND THE CYLINDERS AND A GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION OCCURRED. CYLINDERS 1, 3, AND 4 FOUND NO SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS AND THE IGNITION PLUGS APPEARED IN A NEW CONDITION. CYLINDER 2 SHOWED SIGNS OF OIL AND WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER THREE CYLINDERS.
AT THIS TIME, THE EVIDENCE OF THE SUGGESTS THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STOPPAGE EXPERIENCED FUEL STARVATION THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED FROM “LIQUID LOCK” AS BOTH THE FUEL FILTER BOWL AND CARBURETOR DID NOT HAVE RESIDUAL FUEL, HOWEVER FUEL FLOWED WHEN THE FUEL SYSTEM LINE WAS OPENED TO DRAIN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS.
AT THIS TIME, DUE TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS OF THE PILOT, AN INTERVIEW IS NOT POSSIBLE. FURTHER INFORMATION MAY BECOME AVAILABLE UPON CONTINUED INVESTIGATION AND MAY AMMEND REPORTING RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.