14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 26, 2011 in Harbor Beach, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/20/2011
Aircraft: CESSNA 150F, registration: N3050X
Injuries: 1 Serious.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot stated that he was flying over water at an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level when the engine began to lose power. He contacted flight watch and informed them of the situation. His efforts to restart the engine by applying carburetor heat and full mixture were unsuccessul. He said that engine power was regained just prior to ditching the airplane. He exited the airplane which sank soon after contacting the water. The pilot was rescued 18 hours later. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing chart revealed the conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The pilot reported he did not recognize the symptoms of carburetor ice and that he should have applied the carburetor heat sooner.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's delay in using carburetor heat while operating in carburetor icing conditions, resulting in carburetor ice and subsequent partial loss of engine power.
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A Gouverneur pilot survives a plane crash and a night in the cold waters of Lake Huron. Michael Trapp has returned to New York after days in a Michigan hospital and as our Rachael Paradis tells us, his night facing ten foot waves will not stop him from flying again.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. -- Michael Trapp has faced death and survived not once, but twice.
Michael Trapp said, "You have to focus on the survival aspect."
The 42-year-old pilot left the small town of Gouverneur on a two seater plane last Tuesday afternoon. He was heading toward Wisconsin to visit family.
Just a few hours into his trip, he made a call to the Coast Guard. He was having engine problems. Shortly after, he lost communication and his plane crashed into Lake Huron.
Trapp said, "It was just a horrific accident."
The plane crash was just the beginning. Trapp was then in cold waters without a life jacket. He tried to use his pants as a flotation device, but that failed.
Trapp spent 18 hours treading water and facing ten foot waves. Whenever a boat was close he would wave his sock in the air. Several boats passed him by without catching a glimpse of the sock. It wasn't until the next morning that he was spotted and rescued. Trapp says his legs were so weak, he had to be dragged onto the boat.
Trapp said, "It feels good. It feels good to be on dry ground I tell you."
Trapp spent a few days in the hospital recovering before driving back to New York with his family. He got back into Gouverneur late Sunday night, greeted by a parade and many who are thankful to have him home.
Trapp's father-in-law, Richard Card said, "I missed him I can tell you that."
Trapp said, "I cried of course. Who doesn't love their family?"
Trapp's wife asked him to stay out of the water and get a Harley instead, but he says the experience will not keep grounded.
Trapp said, "I will fly again. I love flying."
Trapp says his wife has saved his hospital tags and the sock to remember what he survived, but as for his plane, it will stay at the bottom of Lake Huron.
Despite the near-death experience, Trapp is very good-natured about it all. In fact, his friends brought him gifts including a life jacket and a beach towel.
As for all the media attention, after the crash, he had requests from about 70 different media outlets the day after it happened.
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