Cessna 150F, N3050X: Huron County sheriff says downed pilot Michael Trapp's lengthy plight due in part to consolidation of flight services, closing the Lansing office; audio of his distress call. Accident occurred July 26, 2011 in Harbor Beach, Michigan.

(Hat tip to Jim in Augusta, Georgia for sharing the following article with audio. Thanks Jim!)

BAD AXE — When Michael Trapp ditched his 1966 Cessna 150 in Lake Huron on July 26, he shouldn't have waited nearly 18 hours for rescue, says Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson in an extensive report released today.

"Our agencies have come to the consensus that Lockheed Martin Flight Service played a major part in the lack of response to this incident," referring to the Federal Aviation Administration's move to subcontract flight services to Lockheed Martin, who then consolidated services and closed the Lansing Flight Service.

When Trapp contacted what he thought was Lansing Flight Service for rescue, he was actually speaking to a controller in Virginia, not in Michigan.

Additionally, Hanson's report questions "how the Coast Guard coordinates searches in our area  from Cleveland, Ohio."

On the night the incident occurred, Hanson was at the Harbor Beach Coast Guard Station, where they were ready to launch a search boat but had not been told to do so, because the Coast Guard was unclear whether an airplane had actually ditched, even though Trapp told the Lockheed controller he was 100-feet off of the water and "going in the drink."

"That order came well over four hours after the ditching," Hanson stated.

Hanson, a commercial rotorcraft/fixed wing pilot, with more than 28 years of experience, launched the investigation in the days following the incident with the hope that the agencies involved will review procedures.

He is also contacting U.S. Rep. Candice Miller seeking assurance that changes have been or will be made.

Hanson said an audio recording of the New York pilot's distress call to the Lockheed controller left little doubt that Trapp was in serious trouble and that the controller in Virginia wasn't familiar with the landmarks Trapp tried to provide to locate him.

Trapp's distress call is broken into four segments below.

PilotInDistress1.mp3
PilotInDistress2.mp3
GoingInTheDrink.mp3
PilotInDistress4.mp3


CEN11CA516 The pilot stated that while crossing Lake Huron at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the engine began to lose power. The pilot contacted flight watch and informed them of the situation. He moved the fuel selector handle and enriched the fuel mixture to no avail. The pilot stated he applied carburetor heat, moved the throttle, and fuel selector switch again, but by this time he was about 100 feet above the water and 15 to 17 miles off shore. He contacted flight watch again to provide a position update and to tell them he was ditching in the lake. The pilot stated that engine power was regained just prior to the airplane contacting the water; however, by that time he was unable to avoid the ditching. The pilot exited the airplane which sank soon after contacting the water. The pilot was able to tread water for approximately 18 hours prior to be picked up by a pleasure boat. The pilot was hospitalized for several days following the accident. The airplane remains at the bottom of Lake Huron in about 210 feet of water. The outside air temperature was 73 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 57 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the FAA Icing Probability Chart, these conditions were conducive for serious 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.
NTSB Identification: CEN11CA516
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 26, 2011 in Harbor Beach, MI
Aircraft: CESSNA 150F, registration: N3050X
Injuries: 1 Serious. Full narrative available