- Date
- July 3, 1991, 23:45 local (Jul 4, 1991, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Whitehall, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N58404Hughes 300C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910703025899A
- Case key
- 15113
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the water. A factor was the dark night light condition.
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 pilot stated he flew across lake Michigan in dark night conditions. Upon reaching the opposite shore, he entered a descending, left turn toward his destination. He reported he lost visual reference during this maneuver, and descended into the lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58404
- Reported as
- Hughes 300C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1190845
- Airframe hours
- 1,210
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-01A, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Diversified International, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1990 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- CGX · Chicago, IL
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 14 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.