- Date
- July 18, 1992, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Michigan, MI
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N4500ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920718030099A
- Case key
- 15317
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
Undetermined.
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
Pilot and three passengers departed battle creek Michigan at 1000, enroute to beaver island located in northern Lake Michigan. Pilot was receiving VFR advisories from minneapolis center, and requested a descent north of traverse city to get below a scattered layer. Descent took the airplane below radar coverage, and VFR services were terminated. Pilot acknowledged 1200 transponder code, and reported that he was VFR at 1200 feet MSL. This was the last contact with the airplane at 1150. The brother of one of the passengers, whom the group was going to visit, attempted to call and tell them not to come because the island was engulfed by heavy fog, but they had already left. He reported the airplane missing at 1700. Coordinated search found no trace of airplane or occupants. Three weeks later, person walking on beach near good hart, Michigan, found an airplane wheel and wheel fairing. Airplane and occupants are still missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4500E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271613
- Airframe hours
- 3,310
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Battle Creek Air Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Tom Cramutolo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1992 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- BTL · Battle Creek, MI
- Destination
- SJX · St. James, MI
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 20 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.