# NTSB CHI94FAMS1: Cessna 172I, N35549, Kalamazoo, MI, November 21, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Missing aircraft · Final report - Date: November 21, 1993, 02:30 local (07:30 UTC) - Place: Kalamazoo, MI - Coordinates: 42.200126, -85.560554 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2001&lon=-85.5606&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report October 20, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 9394 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI94FAMS1 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9394/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI94FAMS1 ## Probable cause UNDETERMINED. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Missing aircraft, unknown - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) ## Analysis THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO DEPART THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 0230 ON NOVEMBER 21, 1993. NEITHER THE AIRPLANE NOR THE PILOT HAVE BEEN LOCATED SINCE THAT TIME. AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE THE CHICAGO AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER'S RADAR RECORDING EQUIPMENT WAS TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE. THE RECORDER RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 0347. AT 0410 A TARGET LOCATED 60 MILES EAST OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, OVER LAKE MICHIGAN, WAS RECORDED BY RADAR TO DESCEND FROM 7,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND DISAPPEAR FROM RADAR AT 2,500 FEET MSL WHILE MAKING FIVE 360 DEGREE TURNS. THE RADAR TARGET WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS THE MISSING AIRPLANE. THE INJURY AND AIRCRAFT DAMAGE CLASSIFICATIONS ABOVE ARE PRESUMED. ## Factual narrative On November 21, 1993, at 0230 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172I, N35549, registered to Eagle Air, Inc., of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and operated by an instrument rated commercial pilot, was observed to depart Kalamazoo, Michigan, with the intended destination of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The airplane and pilot have been missing since that time. A search did not locate either the airplane or pilot. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The airplane is presumed destroyed and the pilot is presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. A transcript of an answering machine message, recorded on 11-23-93 at approximately 8:45 A.M. telephone number (616) 323-2910, listed to the pilot stated, "To those that are interested, I really did fly to Milwaukee on Saturday night. I'll be back, if everything goes according to plan, sometime Sunday; Sunday evening. If you need to leave a message, feel free, at the tone, and I'll call you back as soon as I can." A guard at the Battle Creek International Airport, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, stated that a coded gate, giving access to the airplanes, was opened at 0203. The guard also witnessed, an airplane clicked the runway light's intensity and departed from Battle Creek International Airport at 0230. Weather for both the departure and arrival airports was VFR at the time of departure from Kalamazoo, and remained VFR for several hours thereafter. The Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center did not record the departure of Cessna 172I, N35549, on radar because of a temporary shutdown to change tape reels. The computer started recording at 0347 eastern standard time. When the recorder resumed operation, the radar data revealed a target at 0410, located 60 miles east of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over Lake Michigan, to descend from 7,500 mean sea level and disappear from radar at 2,500 feet while making five 360 degree turns. The radar target was not identified as the missing airplane. A search was initiated by the Coast Guard and the Civil Air Patrol. They searched for three days, before abandoning the search for lack of sighting evidence of the airplane. The search determined the airplane never reached its intended destination on November 21, 1993. No other airports reported seeing the airplane and no wrecking was found. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35549](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35549-1994-02-14), registration cancelled 1994-02-14, S/N 17256827 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172I - Registry model: [Cessna 172I](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172i) (registry code 2072426) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17256827 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2D reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Eagle Air, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: MKE, MILWAUKEE, WI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; flight hours: 1,100 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 210° at 10 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 36 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: GRR ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19931121044279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19931121044279A), Nov 21, 1993: Cessna 172I, Kalamazoo, MI, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Departed at night for lake crossing. Radar had target spiraling off Wisconsin shore. No trace found. ## Other investigations on N35549 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI71DBJ63](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI71DBJ63), Mar 14, 1971: Cessna 172 (N35549), Battle Creek, MI, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.