CHI99FA072

The flight was on an IFR flight plan from Detroit City, Michigan, to Pellston, Michigan. While en route, Minneapolis Center reported to the pilot that Pellston's weather was a ceiling of 600 feet agl, visibility 5 miles, light freezing drizzle and freezing fog. A pilot report from a Northwest Airlink Saab 340 preceding the airplane, reported picking up moderate ice beginning at 3,000 feet msl. The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 32 at Pellston. The airplane's last recorded position was 15 nautical miles southeast of the Pellston Regional Airport, at 3,600 feet msl. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The results of FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot revealed.043 percent Ethanol in the blood. Title 14 CFR Part 91, paragraph 91.17 (a) (4) states that no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having 0.04 percent by weight or more, alcohol in the blood. An examination of the airplane's maintenance records indicated that the airplane's left propeller deice slinger was removed from the propeller spinner bulkhead in June of 1998.

History of flight

On January 21, 1999 at 2216 eastern standard time (est), a Beech 95-C55, N4920M, operated by a commercial pilot, during the ILS approach to runway 32 at the Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County, Pellston, Michigan, impacted into the side of a heavily- wooded hill, 3.4 nautical miles east-southeast of the airport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was on file. The airplane was destroyed, and the pilot and two passengers on board were fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated at Detroit City, Michigan, at 2106 est.

At 2027 est, the pilot contacted the Flight Service Station (FSS) at Lansing, Michigan, obtained a weather briefing, and filed an IFR flight plan from Detroit City to Pellston. At 2105 est, the Detroit City Air Traffic Control Tower (ACTC) cleared the airplane for takeoff. At 2109 est, the pilot established radio contact with Detroit Approach Control and informed them that he was airborne off of the Detroit City Airport. Detroit Approach Control issued N4920M a climb to 6,000 feet mean seal level (msl).

At 2144:01 est, the pilot contacted the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Sector 2 controller and reported being at 6,000 feet msl. Shortly after the call, the Minneapolis ARTCC radar picked up the airplane's transponder code of 7477. The airplane was located 36 nautical miles north of the Bay City/Clements Airport on a 350 degree heading, and at an altitude of 5,900 feet msl.

At 2151:55 est, the pilot requested the weather report at Pellston. The Minneapolis ARTCC Sector 2 controller told the pilot that the weather at Pellston, at 2120 est, was wind 080 degrees magnetic at 11 knots, visibility 5 miles, light freezing drizzle and freezing fog, a ceiling of 600 feet above ground level (agl), temperature -1 degree celsius, dew point -3 degrees celsius, and an altimeter of 30.13 inches of mercury (HG). The pilot responded by repeating the last three numbers of the altimeter setting and "thanks."

At 2152:26 est, the pilot requested the ILS approach to runway 32 at Pellston. Minneapolis ARTCC confirmed the request and told the pilot that he could plan on the approach via the Rondo transition.

At 2159:12 est, the pilot of a Saab 340, Messaba flight 2942, reported to Minneapolis ARTCC of picking up moderate ice into Pellston, beginning at 3,000 feet msl. The message was relayed by Minneapolis ARTCC to the pilot of N4920M.

At 2200:21 est, Minneapolis ARTCC observed the airplane turn to a magnetic heading of 355 degrees. The airplane was located 13 nautical miles east-southeast of Gaylord, Michigan, at 6,000 feet msl.

At 2201:30 est, the pilot requested a descent. The Minneapolis ARTCC Sector 2 controller responded, "descend pilot's discretion, maintain 4,000 [feet msl]." The pilot acknowledged. At 2202:21 est, the airplane was observed at 5,800 feet msl and descending.

At 2203:58 est, the Minneapolis ARTCC Sector 2 controller cleared N4920M for the ILS approach to runway 32 at Pellston, and to maintain at or above 3,200 feet msl until on a published portion of the approach. The pilot acknowledged being cleared for the approach and the altitude restriction.

At 2205:21 est, the airplane turned to a magnetic heading of 342 degrees. The airplane was located 26 miles south-southeast of the Pellston Regional Airport, at 4,100 feet msl.

The last radar position that Minneapolis ARTCC plotted on the airplane was at 2208:56 est. The airplane was 15 nautical miles southeast of the Pellston Regional Airport, at 3,600 feet msl.

A witness, driving westbound on Riggsville Road just east of Pellston (2.5 miles southeast of the airport), at the time of the accident, said she observed an "orange-ish flash of light" to her left-rear, as she neared the bottom of the hill. The witness thought this to be strange and noted the time was 2216 est.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine instrument airplane ratings.

According to FAA Medical Records, the pilot reported on January 5, 1998, to have accumulated 5,600 total flying hours. No personal logbooks showing a breakout of the pilot's flight time, or citing his last biennial flight review were retrieved.

Aircraft information

The airplane was co-owned by the pilot and a business associate, and registered under the title, "Top O Michigan Airmen, incorporated," of Petosky, Michigan. The airplane was used for business and pleasure.

The airplane underwent an annual inspection on June 22, 1998. The total airframe time recorded at the annual inspection was 5,263.9 hours. The Hobbs meter time recorded from the right engine at the time of the annual inspection was 1,147.9 hours. The Hobbs meter reading recorded at the accident site was 1,253.4 hours.

Meteorological information

At 2151 est, the FAA Flight Service Station at Lansing, Michigan, reported the surface observation at the Pellston Regional Airport, as an overcast ceiling varying between 400 and 600 feet above ground level, 4 statute miles visibility, with freezing drizzle and freezing fog. The temperature was reported as 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dew point was reported as 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

The captain of a Saab 340 commuter airline, operating as Northwest Airlink flight 2942, which landed at the Pellston Regional Airport at 2155 est, said that the tops of the clouds in the Pellston area were around 3,000 to 4,000 feet msl. He said that Minneapolis ARTCC cleared flight 2942 for the ILS approach to runway 32, and to descend at the pilot's discretion. The crew intercepted the localizer approximately 22 miles out from the airport and descended on the glide slope at 20 miles out. The captain said that when the airplane reached the outer marker, they began to pick up some ice. They delayed activating their deicing boots until there was appropriate accumulation. The captain estimates that the airplane was between 1,500 feet and 2,000 feet msl when they activated the boots. He estimated that they had accumulated approximately 1/4 inch of ice. Once inside the marker, the ice accumulated quickly. The captain said they encountered ice throughout their descent on the glide slope.

After landing and just clearing the runway at Pellston, the pilot reported moderate-mixed icing to Minneapolis ARTCC. The captain said that Minneapolis ARTCC did not get the whole report, so they relayed it through a "Baron" flying in the area. During his post-flight walk-around of the airplane, the captain said he observed that ice had accumulated on the bottom leading edge of the wings.

Wreckage and impact information

The NTSB on scene investigation began on January 23, 1998, at 1300 est.

The accident site was located mid-way up the side of a snow- covered hill, in a heavily wooded area, 3/4 of a mile south of Riggsville Road, an east-west running paved road which ran east out of the village of Pellston. The average depth of the snow in the area was approximately 3 feet. The accident site was also located 3.4 nautical miles east-southeast of the Pellston Regional Airport on a 118 degree magnetic heading.

The accident site began at a stand of five poplar trees, approximately 110 feet in height, and averaging 30 inches in diameter. Severed and broken branches, 1 to 3 inches in diameter, were scattered east-northeastwardly along the ground on a 060 degree heading, beginning at the bases of the trees.

A second stand of four 100 foot tall poplar trees, located 30 feet from the stand of five trees on a 055-degree magnetic heading, were severed through the trunks approximately 90 feet up from their bases. Severed and broken branches, approximately 1 to 3 inches in diameter, were scattered east-northeastwardly along the ground on a 060 degre