- Date
- March 14, 1986, 06:05 local (11:05 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, MI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N123RMBellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860314006429A
- Case key
- 13249
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
The plt was taking off from his local arpt and local residents described conditions of 100 ft vis in heavy ground fog. After lift-off he began a left turn toward a 300 ft high ridge topped by 100 ft trees. The acft struck the tree tops, the plt lost control and impacted the ground in a steep nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123RM
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 84-30990
- Airframe hours
- 384
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-K1B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon W. Willoughby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 1985 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 3D4 · Frankfort, MI
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,606 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,466 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 28 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.