- Date
- April 5, 1985, 03:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- White Cloud, MI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N23TCCessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850405010799A
- Case key
- 12825
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
At about 0250 EST, control tower psnl at the grand rapids arpt heard a 'mayday' call from N23TC, but when they tried to communicate with the acft, there was no response. The call was repeated svrl times. A check at the local arpt revealed there was an acft missing. A search was initiated, but the acft was not fnd until the following evening. It had crashed while in a steep nose down, shallow left bank attitude. Pieces of wreckage were fnd up to 300 ft from where the acft impacted the ground. No preimpact part failure/malfunction was fnd. However, the non-instrument rated plt was flying in adverse wx with low ceilings & visibility. About 25 mi sse at grand rapids, MI, the 0251 EST was was, in part: 300 ft overcast & 1.5 mi visibility with fog. Prior to the flt, the plt had been celebrating in a saloon. Toxicology checks of his lung tissue fluid & bile showed alcohol lvls of 0.104% & 0.128%, respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269241
- Airframe hours
- 1,635
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles Hathaway, doing business as Aero Michigan,Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 24, 1984 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- 77D · Big Rapids, MI
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 125 total · 75 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.