14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 01, 2012 in Brighton, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/09/2014
Aircraft: AERONCA 7AC, registration: N82383
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
Witnesses observed the airplane make a normal engine run-up before takeoff followed by a normal takeoff from the runway. Shortly after takeoff, the engine did not sound like it was developing full power, and the airplane was struggling to climb. Subsequently, the airplane made a 180-degree turn and then descended toward terrain in a nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the weather conditions at the time of takeoff were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power, it could not be determined whether carburetor ice was a factor in the loss of engine power. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the turn back to the airport, which resulted in a stall.
Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed that the pilot’s shoulder harness failed during the accident. Material examination of the shoulder harness webbing and stitching showed that they failed due to an overload event. The occupants’ injuries suggest that both occupants were using the four-point shoulder harnesses at the time of the accident and were exposed to strong deceleration forces. If the pilot’s shoulder harness had not failed, he likely would not have suffered the brain injury he received, which caused permanent disability. However, it is possible that an intact shoulder harness could have led to more severe chest, abdominal, or cervical injuries. The investigation could not determine whether the pilot would have died or sustained a permanent disability from some other injury if the shoulder harness had remained intact.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed following a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control. Contributing to the severity of the pilot’s head injuries was the failure of the shoulder harness assembly.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On September 1, 2012, approximately 0830 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC single-engine airplane, N82383, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during initial takeoff climb from the Brighton Airport (45G), Brighton, Michigan. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to local authorities who spoke to witnesses, the pilot was taking the passenger for a local flight. Witnesses observed a normal engine run-up prior to takeoff, and a normal takeoff from runway 22. Shortly after takeoff, the engine did not sound like it was developing full power and the airplane was struggling to climb. Subsequently, witnesses observed the airplane make a 180-degree turn and then descend toward the terrain in a nose down attitude.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 79, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplanes. The pilot held a valid driver's license for operation of light-sport aircraft. The pilot's most recent third class medical certificate was issued on August 10, 2005.
The Aeronca 7AC is defined by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a light sport aircraft (LSA). Pilots flying LSAs are only required to possess a valid driver's license and comply with 14 Code of Federal Regulations 61.53(b), which states that no person may act "as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while that person knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would make the person unable to operate the aircraft in a safe manner."
A review of the pilot's logbook showed the pilot had accumulated 2,686.5 flight hours, and 7.8 hours in the last 60 days. The pilot's most recent flight review was completed on August 4, 2012.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The Aeronca 7AC, serial number 7AC-1016, was manufactured in 1946, and registered to the owner on June 10, 2008. The airplane was a two place, tandem, high wing monoplane. Basic construction consisted of welded tubes, and a fabric covered fuselage. The airplane was powered by a Continental A-65-8, 65-horsepower reciprocating engine and a fixed pitch wood propeller. The pilot's operating handbook listed a clean stall speed of 38 miles per hour (mph).
Review of the maintenance records showed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on November 22, 2011, at a total time of 2,391.5 hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 27.2 hours since the annual inspection.
Although the airplane held a standard airworthiness certificate, it met the definition of a Light Sport Aircraft as contained in 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1.1.
According to friends of the pilot, the pilot routinely fueled the airplane with automotive gasoline. The airplane records did not show the supplemental type certificate (STC) for the use of automotive gasoline. According to an Experimental Aircraft Association flight manual supplement, "When using unleaded automotive gasoline, the onset of carburetor ice may occur earlier under the same atmospheric conditions then when using 80/87 minimum grade aviation gasoline. There is no change in the techniques for recognizing and correcting for carburetor ice."
According to weight and balance information contained in the airplane's maintenance records, the airplane had an empty weight of 765.5 pounds (lbs), and a maximum allowable gross weight of 1,220 lbs. Medical records indicated the pilot/owner's weight was 176 lbs, and the autopsy report listed the passenger's weight as 127 lbs. The total fuel on-board at the time of the accident was unknown. Based on the occupant weights, the remaining useful load without fuel was 151 lbs. The total fuel capacity for the airplane was 13 gallons (or 78 lbs).
On November 10, 2010, Aero Fabricators shoulder harness and seat belt assemblies were installed in the front and rear seats per STC number SA1768GL, and Aero Fabricators Installation Instructions AF-41. Aero Fabricators was issued STC SA1768GL for shoulder harness and seat belt assembly on July 1, 1992.
According to an individual who owned a hangar near the pilot's hangar, during the most recent annual inspection, the pilot prepped the airplane for the inspection, which included the removal of the seats and lap restraints. Upon completion of the annual inspection, the seats and lap restraints were reinstalled by the pilot.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 0815, the Livingston County Airport (OZW), Howell, Michigan, automated weather observing system, located 9 miles west of the accident site, reported calm wind, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 19 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of Mercury.
The FAA icing probability chart indicated there was potential for serious carburetor icing at glide power at the time of the accident.
AIRPORT INFORMATION
Brighton Airport was a non-towered, public-use airport equipped with one runway oriented in a 04/22 configuration. According to FAA records, runway 04/22 measured 3,120 feet in length and 24 feet in width. Obstructions included 48-foot trees 700-feet from the end of runway 22.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane came to rest upright in swampy terrain approximately 1,000 feet from the departure end of runway 22. The engine was found buried within the terrain and displaced aft into the firewall. The fuselage was crushed upward and aft. The empennage was partially separated and displaced to the right.
Examination of the airplane showed that flight control continuity was established from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit area. The wooden propeller remained attached to the engine and displayed leading edge gouges and splintering. The crankshaft was rotated by hand and continuity was confirmed from the propeller to the rear accessory gears and to the valve train. The carburetor remained partially attached to the engine, but was impact damaged. The carburetor float bowl contained fuel and water. The carburetor float was undamaged, and the fuel intake screen was clear. The carburetor heat control at the engine was found in the OFF position.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Pilot Injuries
Accident site photographs, medical records, as well as autopsy, and toxicological reports were reviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chief Medical Officer, in an effort to determine the extent and severity of the pilot's injuries.
According to medical records released to the NTSB by the pilot's family, the pilot was found with a decreased level of consciousness, responding only to painful stimulation. On arrival to the hospital, the following injuries were identified: a posterior dislocation of his left hip prosthesis with a fracture of the hip socket (acetabulum), a fracture of his left elbow (olecranon), bruising of the soft tissue around his right eye with a fracture of the floor of the orbit, compartment syndrome in his right forearm, and "bruising over bilateral shoulders, right greater than left with associated right sided bruising over lateral chest, abdomen, hip"; the physician notes remarked "seatbelt sign". According to Computerized Tomography (CT) scan of his head, he had bleeding around and swelling within his brain.
Passenger Injuries
An autopsy was performed on the passenger by the Sparrow Forensic Pathology facility, Lansing, Michigan. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was "multiple injuries."
SURVIVAL ASPECTS
Pilot Seat
The pilot seat was found with its four seat posts attached to the aircraft floor, and the seat frame was bent down, forward, and to the right.
Pilot Restraint
The pilot restraint was manufactured by Aero Fabricators (model number H-702-300) and installed on the accident airplane on November 11, 2010. The restraint was manufactured on May 27, 2010. The shoulder harness label stated the restraint system was a FAA-PMA part with a "rated strength of assembly [of] 1,500 pounds."
The lap belt was attached to the seat at the back seat posts. The lap belt fitting was pinned between the installation bolt and the seat frame, which prevented the lap belt from swiveling forward and aft. The lap belt webbing was pinned between the lap belt fitting and the seat frame, which prevented the seat belt from being able to be adjusted for proper fitting. The left side lap belt had been cut by rescue personnel, and the tongue end of the lap belt was missing from the wreckage.
The shoulder harness had been removed from the airplane by FAA inspectors. The shoulder harness was separated at the stitched "Y" junction that connected the two shoulder straps and the fuselage attach strap behind the occupants head.
Passenger Seat
The passenger seat was found with its four seat posts attached to the aircraft floor, and the front frame tube was creased down approximately 10 inches from the forward left seat post.
Passenger Restraint
The passenger restraint was manufactured by Aero Fabricators (model number H-702-300) and installed on the accident airplane on November 11, 2010. The shoulder harness portion of the restraint was manufactured on May 27, 2010, and the lap belt portion was manufactured on August 25, 2010. The shoulder harness label stated the restraint system was a FAA-PMA part with a "rated strength of assembly [of] 1,500 pounds."
The lap belt was attached to the seat at the back seat posts. The lap belt fitting was pinned between the installation bolt and the seat frame, which prevented the lap belt from swiveling forward and aft. The lap belt webbing was pinned between the lap belt fitting and the seat frame, which prevented the seat belt from being able to be adjusted for proper fitting.
The shoulder harness had been removed from the airplane by FAA inspectors. The shoulder harness was intact.
Seat Restraint Installation
The NTSB Survival Factors Group inquired to the mechanic who installed the seat belts and shoulder harnesses into the airplane about the pinned lap belts found in the accident airplane. He explained that he installed bushings into the attachment fittings for the lap belts. The bushings would allow the bolt at the attach point to be fully tightened while also allowing the seat belt to be adjusted and swivel forward and aft. The bushings are not provided by Aero Fabricators in the installation kit for a new restraint system or detailed as required parts in the installation instructions.
During the examination of the airplane, the bushings were not found in the lap belt attachment fittings, thus pinning the hardware and lap belt webbing in one position.
Shoulder Harness Restraint System Testing
Webbing Breaking Strength Testing
On March 18, 2013, an independent research lab conducted a breaking strength test using an exemplar webbing sample provided by Aero Fabricators. In accordance with the Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace Standard (SAE AS) 8043B, the breaking strength of the webbing was measured approximately 20.9 kilonewtons (kN), which met the breaking strength requirement for upper torso of 17.8 kN, but did not meet the breaking strength requirement for the pelvic of 22.2 kN.
Technical Standard Order (TSO) C22f, dated January 1, 1990, was effective at the time Aero Fabricators applied for the seat belt STC. TSO C22f stated "new models of safety belts that are to be identified with applicable TSO markings and that are manufactured after May 1, 1972, must meet the standards set forth in National Aerospace Standard (NAS) Specification 802 revised May 15, 1950. NAS 802 stated that the rated minimum breaking strength of the complete belt assembly, i.e. 1,500 pounds (lbs). Therefore, the pelvic breaking strength requirement at the time of Aero Fabricators STC application was 2,250 lbs (10kN).
Although the breaking strength of the webbing did not meet the TSO pelvic requirements currently effective as detailed in SAE AS 8043B, the webbing breaking strength met TSO C22f standards in effect at the time of STC approval.
Thread Testing
On March 8, 2013, and April 8, 2013, an independent research lab conducted thread tensile strength and elongation testing using a black and white thread sample provided by Aero Fabricators. In accordance with the test standard, both the black and white threads met the minimum breaking strength and minimum elongation per the specifications.
March 2013 Shoulder Harness Static Testing
On March 20, 2013, an independent research lab conducted a series of 3 static tests, under the supervision of NTSB and FAA personnel. Two exemplar should harness restraint assemblies manufactured by Aero Fabricators, and the aft occupant shoulder harness from the accident airplane were tested.
The shoulder harness restraint was installed on a loading block per the SAE AS 8043B, and load was applied through three attachment points to obtain the load profile described in the standard. The attachment points were one on each side of the lap belt fitting and the third on the shoulder harness fitting. The loading profile included evaluation of the restraint system at 612 lbs (equivalent load at 9g's), 1,500 lbs (rated strength depicted on restraint label), 2,500 lbs (per SAE AS 8043B), and to restraint failure.
The first test conducted used an exemplar shoulder harness restraint system ordered from Aero Fabricators in November 2012. This restraint system reached a maximum load of 1,239 pounds at the point of failure of the restraint. The restraint experienced a stitching failure at the "Y" shoulder harness junction at the maximum load.
The second test conducted used the aft occupant shoulder harness from the accident airplane. This restraint system reached a maximum load of 1,202 pounds at the point of failure of the restraint. The restraint also experienced a stitching failure at the "Y" junction at the maximum load.
The third test conducted used a second exemplar shoulder harness restraint system ordered from Aero Fabricators in March 2013. This restraint system reached a maximum load of 1,281 pounds at the point of failure of the restraint. The restraint also experienced a stitching failure at the "Y" junction at the maximum load.
August 2013 Shoulder Harness Static Testing
On August 29, 2013, an independent research lab conducted another test, under the supervision of NTSB and FAA personnel. This testing was conducted using a mock-up of the accident airplane seat structure obtained from measurements taken during a postaccident examination and from an exemplar Aeronca airplane. The seat was constructed to achieve the proper seat pan angle to closely mimic the seat installed in an Aeronca airplane.
This test was conducted similar to the test conducted during the original STC certification for the Aero Fabricators shoulder harness conducted in March 1992, the loads were calculated using 40 percent of a 9g load of a 170 lb person. A limit load of 408 lbs and an ultimate load of 612 lbs were tested.
The test blocks used by Aero Fabricators during STC certification testing were borrowed for this testing and were used as described in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 23-4, Static Strength Substantiation of Attachment Points for Occupant Restraint System Installations. The lap and torso blocks were placed on the rigid seat and the shoulder harness restraint assembly was installed. The load was applied through the torso and lap locations, and then evaluated at the specified intervals.
The test conducted used an exemplar shoulder harness restraint system ordered from Aero Fabricators in August 2013. The restraint system reached a maximum torso belt load of approximately 1,105 lbs at the point of failure of the restraint, and a maximum lap belt load of approximately 1,645 lbs at the point of failure. The restraint experienced a stitching failure at the 'Y' junction at these maximum loads.
Pilot Shoulder Harness Materials Examination
The pilot's shoulder harness was submitted to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination. Normally, the shoulder webbing is one piece which is folded over to form a "V". The "V" is located in the rear webbing which is folded over the "V" to form a "Y". The rear webbing, with the entrapped "V" are then sewn together to form the yoke of the shoulder harness. The shoulder webbing and most of the stitching in the rear webbing had fractured. The fittings that are used to attach the shoulder harness to the waist belt were deformed.
Examination of the fractured ends of the shoulder webbing revealed filaments with similar features from one edge to the other. Some filaments showed mushroomed ends, consistent with a relatively high loading rate. Under such conditions, the loading of the filament produces heat which softens the filament and causes it to fracture. The resultant snap-back from the release of the strain energy causes the material to collapse and form the mushroomed tip.
Examination revealed that the stitching consisted of three "box stitching" patterns. The "box stitching" consists of four sides, with a double row of stitching at the lateral ends, and two diagonal stitches. Most of the threads in the box stitches were fractured with the rear webbing retained in its folded position by the double lateral stitching. The fractured threads were examined by opening the folded end to expose the threads on the inner surface. Examination of the fractured tips revealed mushroomed filaments consistent with a relatively high loading rate.
Examination of the fittings revealed the protruding portions, through which the tang is normally inserted before being inserted into the buckle, were bent.
Aero Fabricators Shoulder Harness Certification – FAA Position
On April 4, 2013, the NTSB submitted a formal request to the FAA for additional information regarding the STC certification of the Aero Fabricators lap belt and shoulder harness parts and assemblies for the Aeronca Champ. Additionally, the NTSB requested the FAA provide a formal position and justification related to the FAA's findings from the certification review of Aero Fabricators lap belt and shoulder harnesses.
After review of the Aero Fabricators STC number SA1768GL, the FAA found the following:
- The seat belt used in the STC installation was a TSO seat belt assembly.
- The shoulder harness was tested on aircraft structure testing both the forward and rear seat installations with no failures during the limit (408 lbs) and ultimate (612 lbs) loads.
- STC SA1768GL complied with Federal Aviation Regulations in affect at the time.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
Engine Examination
On January 10, 2013, the engine was examined and functionally tested by FAA inspectors. Prior to the engine functional test, the following engine components were removed and replaced due to damage sustained during the accident: propeller, right ignition harness, #3 cylinder intake tube, engine oil, and fuel. The engine was functionally tested on another airframe due to the damage on the accident airplane. The engine was started and both magnetos were operational. The engine throttle was cycled and the engine power was confirmed. The oil pressure maintained a minimum of 30 psi or greater.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Excerpt of Pilot's Operating Handbook
According to the pilot's operating handbook, Emergency Procedures, Engine Runs Rough, it states:
"Pull Carburetor full ON. If the roughness is caused by carburetor ice, roughness will probably increase momentarily, then the engine should begin to run smoothly.
If applying carburetor heat does not smooth the engine, check mags. It is possible a fouled plug, worn plug wire, or faulty mag is causing the roughness, in which cases switching to the good mag, while resulting in a slight loss of power, will smooth the engine.
Land as soon as practical."
Other Accident Involving Failed Aero Fabricators Shoulder Harness
On March 3, 2013, about 1558 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M airplane, N5129R, impacted trees and snow covered mountainous terrain 11 nautical miles east northeast of Saratoga, Wyoming . The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage.
During the on-scene wreckage documentation, the NTSB observed that the pilot's shoulder harness had failed during the accident, similar to the Aeronca failure with a separation of the threading at the "Y" junction. The pilot restraint was manufactured by Aero Fabricators (model number H-702-300) and installed on the accident airplane on February 9, 2003. The date of manufacturing stamp on the shoulder harness restraint was smeared and was illegible. The shoulder harness label stated the restraint system was an FAA-PMA part with a "rated strength of assembly [of] 1,500 pounds."
http://registry.faa.gov/N82383
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA601
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 01, 2012 in Brighton, MI
Aircraft: AERONCA 7AC, registration: N82383
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 1, 2012, approximately 0830 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC single-engine airplane, N82383, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during initial takeoff climb from the Brighton Airport (45G), Brighton, Michigan. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to local authorities, the pilot was taking the passenger, who was a friend of the pilot, for a local flight. Witnesses observed a normal engine run-up prior to takeoff, and a normal takeoff from runway 22. Shortly after takeoff, the engine did not sound like it was developing full power and the airplane was struggling to climb. Subsequently, the airplane was observed making a turn and then descended toward the terrain in a nose down attitude.
The airplane came to rest upright in swampy terrain approximately 1,000 feet from the departure end of runway 22. The engine was found buried within the terrain and displaced aft into the firewall. The fuselage was crushed upward and aft. The empennage was partially separated and displaced to the right.
Examination of the airplane showed that flight control continuity was established from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit area. The wooden propeller remained attached to the engine. The crankshaft was rotated by hand and continuity was confirmed from the propeller to the rear accessory gears and to the valve train. The carburetor remained partially attached to the engine, but was impact damaged. The carburetor float bowl contained fuel and water. The carburetor float was undamaged, and the fuel intake screen was clear.
At 0815, the Livingston County Airport (OZW), Howell, Michigan, automated weather observing system, located 9 miles west of the accident site, reported calm winds, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 19 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of Mercury.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 82383 Make/Model: 7AC Description: 1946 AERONCA 7AC
Date: 09/01/2012 Time: 1240
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: BRIGHTON State: MI Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE 2 PERSONS ON
BOARD, 1 WAS FATALLY INJURED, 1 SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, NEAR BRIGHTON,
MI
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 2 Fat: 1 Ser: 1 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: DETROIT, MI (GL23) Entry date: 09/04/2012
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP — State police have released the names of a Costa Rican woman killed and a Michigan pilot injured when the man’s 1940s-era, single-engine plane crashed a swampy area near a southeastern Michigan airport.
Lt. Dan Davis said Sunday that dead woman was 56-year-old Ana Lorena Arguedas Ortega. He didn’t have her hometown.
Davis identifies the pilot as 79-year-old Walter Davenport of Brighton. Davenport was reported in serious condition at the University of Michigan medical center.
The crash happened Saturday morning in Livingston County’s Brighton Township, about 40 miles west-northwest of Detroit.
Brighton Area Fire Authority Fire Chief Michael O’Brian says the two-seat aircraft crashed in a wooded area on the edge of Woodland Lake near Brighton Airport.
BRIGHTON TWP. — A 1940s-era, single-engine plane crashed Saturday morning in a swampy area near a southeastern Michigan airport, killing a female passenger and critically injuring the male pilot, authorities said.
Brighton Area Fire Authority Fire Chief Michael O’Brian said the two-seat aircraft crashed in a wooded area on the edge of Woodland Lake near Brighton Airport in Livingston County. He said the pilot was extricated from the plane and flown to University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor, about 20 miles south of the crash.
Michigan State Police Lt. Dan Davis said authorities were not releasing the names of the victims until all family members were notified, but the pilot is a 79-year-old from Howell who owns the plane. Davis said the woman was 56.
O’Brian said the plane took off from the small airport and crashed about a quarter of a mile away. Crews were trying to contain a fuel leak at the crash site, but it is full of trees and cattails and difficult to get into, he said.
“Crews had to cut a path,” O’Brian said. “When they got to the edge of the water, they basically had to wade through the swampy area with their tools.”
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said it’s unclear why the plane crashed, and the FAA is assisting the National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the crash.
According to FAA records, the Aeronca 7AC two-seater was built in 1946.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com
Brighton firefighters are forced to fight through heavy swampy conditions to access the scene of a fatal airplane crash at the Brighton Airport Saturday morning. One wing of the crashed aircraft is visible at upper right. Photo by ALAN WARD / DAILY PRESS & ARGUS 
Site of the single engine crash in swamp near Brighton Airport.
Rescue workers on the scene near plane crash in Brighton.
UPDATED at 11:15 a.m. -- A plane crash in Brighton has killed a woman and injured a man.
Chief Michael O’Brien of the Brighton Area Fire Department said the pilot, identified only as a male, was flown by Survival Flight to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor where he is reportedly in serious condition. His passenger, reportedly a woman visiting the area from Costa Rica, was killed in the crash, which occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m.
O’Brien said preliminary reports indicate the pilot was attempting to take off when the single-engine plane crashed in a heavily wooded, swamp area near Hyne and Hunter roads between the Brighton Airport and Woodland Lake.
Witnesses reportedly said the plane barely climbed over the tree line before turning and crashing.
The area is difficult to access and fire officials say they are using chain saws and an inflatable boat to access the crash site.
“Once our crews got a visual (on the plane) and determined the best way down, they had to go through trees, swamp and wade out in the water and muck,” O’Brien explained. “When they finally made it to the plane, we had to extricate the pilot.”
The pilot was transported back to land by a boat and then airlifted to the U-M.
Authorities did not release additional information.
Livingston County sheriff’s officials and Michigan State Police personnel are on scene along with Brighton fire officials. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board also are on scene.
Plane crash at Brighton airport kills 1, injures 1
BRIGHTON (WWJ) – A woman from Costa Rica is dead, and her pilot is seriously injured, following a plane crash Saturday morning near Brighton Airport.
Michael O’Brian, fire chief with the Brighton Area Fire Authority, tells WWJ that the crash happened near I-96 and Grand River.
O’Brian says the two victims had to be cut out of the wreckage. The plane had just taken off. The pilot was airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirms that the plane was a single engine Aeronca. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and will lead the investigation into the cause.
The plane had just taken off. The survivor was airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital.
Read Related Story HERE.
Brighton Airport has temporarily closed after a small plane crashed this morning, killing a passenger and critically injuring the pilot.
Michigan State Police Lt. Dan Davis in Lansing said the accident happened at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday as the plane was taking off. It landed in a nearby field, where helicopters were sent to evacuate the two people inside. The pilot, a man in his 70’s, was taken to U-M Medical Center, where he is being treated for extensive injuries. The passenger, a woman whose age is not known, died. Names have not been released pending notification of families.
Bill Bertrand, Brighton Airport Manager, said the pilot had been flying for at least 30 or 40 years, and that the plane was his own. He said the airport is not radio-enabled, so there was no distress call before the plane went down. He said the FAA is on site, as are Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Brighton Fire Department.
“I have no idea what happened,” he said, noting it has been several years since the last crash and that he doesn’t remember the last fatality.
The airport will remain closed until the FAA completes its investigation, which Bertrand said would be later this afternoon.
BRIGHTON, MICH (WXYZ) - 7 Action News has learned that a woman has been killed in a small plane crash in Brighton.
A man was also injured in the crash. He has been taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor by helicopter.
He is reportedly in serious condition.
Police have not released their names. They have also not commented on who was piloting the plane.
Michigan State Police and Livingston County Sheriff's office are on the scene of the crash. Few details on the nature of the accident are available right now.
This is occurring near Hyne and Hunter roads right near the Brighton Airport.
BRIGHTON (WWJ) - Michigan State Police and other emergency crews from Brighton are at the scene of a small plane crash Saturday morning in Livingston County.
The plane with two people on board went down in a swampy area near Brighton Airport.
Fire Chief Michael O’Brian of the Brighton Area Fire Authority has confirmed that one person is dead and another is in critical condition and is being air lifted to an area hospital.
Emergency crews are on the scene of the swampy crash in the area of Hilton and Grand River Avenue.
O’Brian says he’s not sure if the plane was taking off or landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be conducting an investigation.
State Police and other emergency responders are at the scene of a small plane crash this morning at the Brighton Airport. According to witnesses, the single-engine plane had two people on board when it went down just after 8am in a swampy area near the airport at Hyne and Hunter Roads in Brighton Township. There are reports of at least one fatality, although that is unconfirmed. A Survival Flight helicopter did arrive at the scene and has since lifted off with one of the victims on board. The FAA is on the scene and investigating cause of the crash, which can only be accessed by boat.
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