http://registry.faa.gov/N1046L
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA102
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 06, 2014 in Boyne City, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/24/2014
Aircraft: MOONEY M20R, registration: N1046L
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
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.
The instrument-rated pilot received weather data via a computerized flight planning service on the morning of the accident. The briefing included a synopsis for upper Michigan that indicated overcast conditions at 3,000 feet with cloud tops at 12,000 feet, visibility of 3 to 5 miles with light snow showers and mist, and wind from the northwest gusting to 25 knots. An airmen’s meteorological information was current for instrument flight rules conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 miles with precipitation, mist, and blowing snow at the time of the accident. Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane heading west, which was in the direction of the departure airport. Another witness stated that, due to the snow, he could only see the airplane's lights but that it appeared that the airplane banked “hard,” pitched up and down, and accelerated as it descended. The airplane impacted terrain about 1 mile east of the airport in a heavily wooded valley. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact and a postimpact fire. One witness reported whiteout conditions and several witnesses reported that it was snowing heavily at the time of the accident. Dark light and gusting wind conditions were also present at the time of the accident. An examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot was likely trying to return to the airport after encountering dark night conditions and heavy snow showers and subsequently lost control of the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane as he attempted to return to the airport after encountering dark night conditions and heavy snow showers.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On January 6, 2014, at
0706 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20R airplane, N1046L, collided
with trees and terrain about 1 mile east of the Boyne City Municipal
Airport (N98), Boyne City, Michigan. The instrument rated private pilot
and the passenger on board were both fatally injured. The airplane was
substantially damaged from impact with the terrain and a post impact
fire. The airplane was registered to Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., and
operated by the private pilot as a personal flight under the provision
of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91. Instrument meteorological
conditions prevailed for the personal flight and an instrument flight
rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the
time of the accident with a destination of the Oakland/Troy Airport
(VLL), Troy, Michigan.
The pilot flew the airplane from VLL to
N98 on January 3, 2014. Upon his arrival at N98, the pilot parked the
airplane in his hangar and did not receive any fuel services. According
to a family member, the pilot and passenger were going to return to VLL
on January 5, 2014, but delayed the flight until the next day due to the
weather conditions. The pilot frequently flew the airplane between VLL
and N98.
At 0614, the pilot used a commercial computerized flight
planning service to obtain weather data and file an IFR flight plan.
The flight plan included a proposed departure time of 0715. The route of
flight was direct to the Grayling (CGG), Michigan very high frequency
omnidirectional range (VOR) then direct to VLL. The pilot requested an
en route altitude of 5,000 feet with an estimated time en route of 51
minutes. The pilot did not receive an IFR clearance.
There were
several witnesses that either heard and/or saw the airplane prior to the
accident. One witness reported hearing the airplane engine while the
airplane was on the airport. She stated it sounded like the airplane
took off to the east. Two witnesses who heard the airplane stated the
engine sounded like it "choked up" and "tightened up." Other witnesses
reported hearing normal, loud engine sounds. Some of the witnesses
reported that it sounded as if the airplane was heading back toward the
airport. Several witnesses stated it was snowing heavily and it was
dark, so they were only able to see the lights on the airplane and not
the airplane itself. One witness reported seeing the airplane descend at
a 45 degree angle. Another witness stated that due to the snow he could
only see the airplane's lights, but it appeared the airplane banked
"hard", pitched up and down, and accelerated as it descended.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The
pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane
and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third class airman
medical certificate on December 23, 2013. The medical certificate
contained the limitation that the pilot must have glasses available for
near vision. At the time of the examination the pilot reported having
1,400 hours of flight time, 50 hours of which were flown in the previous
6 months.
The pilot's logbook(s) were not located during the
investigation. The pilot completed an insurance application on August
13, 2013. He reported on the application that he had 1,572 total hours
of flight time, 1,497 hours of flight time in airplanes with retractable
landing gear, 1,272 hours of flight time in Mooney M20R airplanes, and
100 hours of flight time in the previous year.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The
accident airplane was a 2001 Mooney model M20R airplane, serial number
29-0275. It was a low wing, single-engine airplane, with a retractable
landing gear configuration. The airplane was powered by a 310-horsepower
Continental IO-550-G6B reciprocating engine, serial number 684928. The
airplane was issued a normal category airworthiness certificate on April
19, 2001. The pilot's company, Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., purchased
the airplane on August 17, 2001.
The airframe, engine, and
propeller logbooks were not located during the investigation. An
airframe and powerplant mechanic who had worked on the airplane stated
that he did not have any records and that it had been about a year since
he had worked on the airplane. He stated that the last work he did on
the airplane was probably an annual inspection.
The last known
fuel records were obtained from N98 which showed the pilot purchased
63.5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel on December 8, 2013.
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
The
weather conditions recorded at the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX),
Charlevoix, Michigan, located 16 miles northwest of the accident site
were:
At 0655: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 27
knots, visibility 2.75 miles with light snow, sky condition 1,800
scattered, 2,500 feet broken, 2,900 feet overcast, temperature -12
degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.75
inches of mercury.
At 0715: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots
gusting to 27 knots, visibility 1.25 miles with light snow, sky
condition 1,400 feet broken, 2,300 feet broken, 2,900 feet overcast,
temperature -12 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and
altimeter 29.75 inches of mercury.
The weather conditions
recorded at the Gaylord Regional Airport (GLR), Gaylord, Michigan,
located 19 miles southeast of the accident site were:
At 0653:
wind from 330 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 16 knots, visibility 4 miles
with light snow, sky condition 3,900 feet broken, 6,500 feet overcast,
temperature -15 degrees Celsius, dew point -18 degrees Celsius, and
altimeter 29.63 inches of mercury.
At 0714: wind from 330 degrees
at 8 knots varying from 290 degrees to 010 degrees, visibility 1.75
miles with light snow, sky condition 3,400 feet overcast, temperature
-15 degrees Celsius, dew point -18 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.63
inches of mercury.
The weather conditions recorded at the Harbor
Springs Airport, (MGN), Harbor Springs, Michigan, located 15 miles north
of the accident site were:
At 0654: wind from 320 degrees at 9
knots gusting to 15 knots varying between 290 degrees to 350 degrees,
visibility 4 miles with light snow, sky condition 1,200 feet broken,
2,600 feet broken, 2,600 feet overcast, temperature -13 degrees Celsius,
dew point -16 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.72 inches of mercury.
At
0715: wind from 300 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots varying
from 290 degrees to 350 degrees, visibility 5 miles with haze, sky
condition 1,500 feet scattered, 3,600 feet broken 5,000 feet overcast,
temperature -13 degrees Celsius, dew point -17 degrees Celsius, and
altimeter 29.72 inches of mercury.
Records indicate the pilot
received a computerized weather briefing on the morning of the accident.
The briefing included local observations, area forecasts and synopsis,
notices to airmen, winds aloft, significant meteorological information
(SIGMETS) and airmen's meteorological information (AIRMETS). The
synopsis for upper Michigan called for overcast conditions at 3,000 feet
with cloud tops at 12,000 feet, visibilities 3 to 5 miles with light
snow showers and mist, and wind from the northwest gusting to 25 knots.
An AIRMET issued for IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and
visibilities below 3 miles with precipitation, mist, and blowing snow.
A
witness who heard the airplane while it was on the airport stated the
wind velocity was 10 to 15 miles per hour and gusting. She stated it was
dark and snowing at the time. She stated the blowing snow occasionally
created white-out conditions. Several witnesses reported that it was
snowing heavily at the time of the accident.
COMMUNICATIONS
The
pilot did not receive an IFR clearance for the flight and there was no
radio communication between the pilot and air traffic control. Local
pilots reported that it was very difficult to contact air traffic
control on the ground at N98 and that most pilots departing IFR from N98
pick up their clearances once airborne.
The airplane was below radar coverage for the area.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
Extreme
winter weather conditions delayed the investigative team's arrival
until January 9, 2014. Prior to the team's arrival, the wreckage was
moved by Boyne City and Charlevoix County Sheriff's Office personnel to a
secured hangar at N98.
The accident site was 1.07 miles east of
the departure end of runway 09 at N98. The wreckage was located at the
edge of a heavily wooded area that was in a valley between two rolling
hills. The wooded area contained trees that ranged between 50 and 80
feet in height. A path of broken trees on the down sloping terrain was
visible leading up to the snow covered ground impact area. The heading
from the initial tree strike to the ground impact was 300 degrees.
Broken tree branches indicated a descent angle of about 45 degrees. The
distance from the initial tree impact to the main ground impact was
about 200 feet.
The Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department
reported the fuselage came to rest up against a tree that was near the
initial ground impact. The engine was located about 100 feet northwest
of the initial ground impact and the propeller was about 50 feet
northwest of the engine. The right wing was located between the engine
and the propeller. Portions of the wreckage were subjected to a
postimpact fire.
The cockpit area including the instrument panel
was destroyed by impact and fire damage. The center section of the
fuselage below the floor remained attached to the inboard section of the
right wing. The cockpit area above the floor was destroyed by impact
and fire. All of the structural and flight control tubing sustained
impact and fire damage. The aft fuselage was separated from the cockpit
area. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer. The
elevators remained attached to the horizontal stabilizers. The entire
empennage sustained impact damage. The position of the landing gear
jackscrew indicated the landing gear was in a transit position.
The
right wing was separated from the airframe. Both the inboard and
wingtip section of the wing were separated from the center portion of
the wing. The inboard section of the wing, including the landing gear,
remained attached to the lower portion of the fuselage. The inboard
section of the wing sustained fire damage. The leading edge of the
center section of the wing was crushed. The leading edge of the wing
just outboard of the inboard portion of the aileron contained concave
impact damage indicative of a tree strike. The aileron was attached to
the wing. The flap was bent and separated from the wing. The fuel cap
remained in place.
The left wing separated in numerous pieces.
The flap separated from the wing in two pieces. The outboard section of
the aileron remained attached to the wing. The inboard section of the
aileron was crushed and separated from the wing. The leading edge of the
wing, outboard of the fuel filler cap, sustained concave impact damage
indicative of a tree strike. The fuel cap remained in place. The left
landing gear was separated from the wing.
Flight control
continuity to the wings could not be established due to the amount of
impact damage and separation of the control push/pull tubes. Control
continuity was established from the aft fuselage to the rudder and
elevator control surfaces.
The propeller was separated from the
engine. The propeller spinner was crushed around the propeller hub. All
of the blades contained varying degrees of chordwise scratching and
polishing. One blade was twisted and bent rearward. The tip of the blade
was curled aft. Impact damage was visible on the trailing edge of the
blade with a chunk of the blade missing. The outboard third of the
second blade was curled aft about 270 degrees. The third blade was
relatively straight with leading edge damage on the outboard section of
the blade.
The engine was separated from the airframe. The engine
sustained impact damage with the No. 6 cylinder pushed into the No. 4
cylinder. The piston pin on the No. 1 cylinder piston could not be
removed and the pin would not clear the crankcase which prevented the
crankshaft from being manually rotated. Cylinders Nos. 1, 3, and 5 were
removed from the engine for examination. The intake and exhaust valves
were intact. No anomalies were noted with the cylinders, pistons,
crankshaft, camshaft, and bearing saddles. The magnetos, engine driven
fuel pump, vacuum pump, spark plugs, fuel injection servo, oil pump,
induction system, and fuel manifold were examined. The examination of
the engine and engine components did not reveal any anomalies that would
have prevented normal operation.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Autopsies
were performed on the pilot and passenger at Spectrum Health, Grand
Rapids, Michigan on January 7, 2014. The cause of death for both the
pilot and passenger was attributed to multiple blunt injuries.
Toxicology
testing was performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Civil
Aerospace Medical Institute. Testing results were negative for all
substances in the screening profile.
CHARLEVOIX — Authorities
on Tuesday dropped felony criminal charges against a staff member of a
Northern Michigan newspaper for last month capturing video images amid
the wreckage at the scene of a small airplane crash.
Charlevoix
County Prosecuting Attorney Allen Telgenhof said he dismissed a charge
of "photographing bodies in a grave" against Damien Leist, 38, of Boyne
City, pursuant to an agreement reached between his office and Leist,
through Leist's attorney.
Following Tuesday's dismissal, Telgenhof and Leist issued a joint news release on the matter.
In
the release, Telgenhof said, "The Charlevoix County Sheriff's
Department and the Charlevoix County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
respect the First Amendment rights of the news media to cover newsworthy
events, and any media reports to the contrary are mistaken. In this
case, the sheriff's department cooperated with a number of media outlets
that were on the site, and made provisions to enable them to do their
job. Unfortunately, Mr. Leist was not at the scene at the time this was
done.
When Mr. Leist arrived a few hours later, the crash site
was still subject to restricted access as part of the ongoing
investigation into the crash. As a result of a misunderstanding of the
directives of law enforcement, Mr. Leist gained access to the site and
shot video footage of areas that he should not have had access to. The
sheriff's department, the prosecutor's office, and Mr. Leist have
pledged to work together to ensure such misunderstandings do not occur
in the future."
The same release quoted Leist as saying, "I
deeply respect the hard work of our friends in law enforcement, and I
appreciate that they need to secure accident scenes as part of their
investigation. The last thing I wanted to do was disturb the scene or
their work. My only objective was to report on this tragic accident,
just like my fellow journalists had done earlier that morning. My heart
goes out to the families of the men who perished in the crash."
Leist, a Charlevoix County News employee, previously had a preliminary examination on the charge set for Tuesday afternoon.
The
charge stemmed from a video Leist and another man made on Jan. 6 amid
the wreckage at the site of an airplane crash near Boyne City. The video
later could be found posted to the website YouTube.
Leist is
employed by a Gaylord-based weekly newspaper called the Charlevoix
County News. The paper is not affiliated with the Petoskey News-Review,
nor the Charlevoix Courier.
Authorities additionally charged
Leist as an habitual felon in connection with a 2011 felony of
manufacturing and/or distributing medical marijuana, which could have
increased his sentence on the just-dismissed felony, had he been
convicted.
According to court documents, Charlevoix County
deputies said Leist misled reserve deputies posted at the scene in order
to gain access to the crash site. Court records also state the crash
site still contained partial human remains when Leist and the other man
arrived.
Leist previously told the News-Review he didn't see any bodies at the site.
Representatives
from other media outlets, including the Petoskey News-Review, arrived
at the crash site on snowmobiles escorted by police. However, at the
site, they were not allowed within a certain distance of the wreckage.
Leist appeared in the video immediately next to the wreckage.
Amended
Michigan law in 1997 now includes photographing dead bodies in a grave
as a crime and defines "grave" to include crash sites and disaster
areas.
Source: http://www.petoskeynews.com
Pilot Todd Glen Lloyd and Christopher Neumann
Opinion: Jeremy McBain - 'Newsman' actions were not proper
Charlevoix County is in the national media as of late thanks to the actions of a “reporter” from a small weekly newspaper out of Gaylord.
You may have heard about the issue. A reporter named Damien Leist went to the scene of a fatal plane crash near Boyne City — and may or may not have lied to police officers to get into the scene — where he then was filmed standing in the wreckage of the plane, saying he was representing the newspaper where he works (his newspaper has no connection to the Petoskey News-Review, by the way). He then posted this video to YouTube. Other media that were at the scene earlier that day, including a News-Review reporter, were led to a location near the site by police and took photographs from this site. Leist said he did not do this with the other media because he “arrived late to the party.”
Not only was Leist filmed standing in the wreckage of a fatal accident that was still being investigated, according to the Charlevoix County Sheriff, while they could not be seen on the video, there were still remains from the men in the wreckage.
The families of the men who died in the accident were very upset to see something like this on the Internet and complained to the sheriff. As a result, the reporter was charged with “photographing bodies in a grave,” which is a crime in the state of Michigan.
I am not going to address the legality of this charge with this column. That is something that is up to the courts to decide and others to debate. What I am going to address though is the media ethics of this case. While I am concerned about the legality of the charge the reporter was slapped with, I do not feel sorry for this man based on the way he behaved at the scene of a fatal accident.
While many people are focusing on whether this charge is a violation of the First Amendment, we are forgetting what this “reporter” did was not proper procedure for covering an accident scene. It is tasteless and unethical to go to the scene and tape yourself walking through the wreckage of an accident that is under investigation. And if this reporter did do what the police claim and lied his way to the site, then that completely elevates this ethical violation higher.
While a reporter’s duty is to report the truth to the public, reporters on the scene of a crime or accident must do so without harming any investigation that is taking place. That means they may not just walk through a crime scene or accident scene without checking with a law enforcement official first to be sure they do not disturb the scene or investigation. And, by no means, may any reporter lie to a law enforcement official to gain access to a site or get information.
Furthermore, this reporter calling the scene of an accident “a party” is very disturbing to me. No accident scene is a party. Every accident scene must be covered with tact and professionalism, not only because it is what true professional journalists do, but that is the humane way to behave when someone is hurt or killed. A reporter that behaves the way this man did would not be welcome at the Petoskey News-Review.
The public already has a healthy dislike for journalists. They think we are vultures, we lie or we don’t care about the feelings of the people who are the subjects of our stories and videos. I can’t blame them when there are people like Leist, who claim to be reporters, but behave in such a distasteful way.
Journalists, and others, who act in this way make the job much harder for ethical journalists. Therefore, I can not give this situation this a pass, regardless of my feelings on any legal issues this man may be facing. To do so would be an injustice for a career that has been my passion for close to two decades.
Jeremy McBain is the executive editor of the Petoskey News-Review.
Article and comments/reaction: http://www.petoskeynews.com
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA102
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 06, 2014 in Boyne City, MI
Aircraft: MOONEY M20R, registration: N1046L
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
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 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.
On January 6, 2014, at
0700 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20R airplane, N1046L, collided
with trees and terrain about 1 mile east of the Boyne City Municipal
Airport (KN98), Boyne City, Michigan. The private pilot and the
passenger on board were both fatally injured. The airplane was
substantially damaged from impact with the terrain and a post impact
fire. The airplane was registered to Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., and
operated by the private pilot under the provision of 14 Code of Federal
Regulations 91. The purpose of the flight is unknown at this time.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and an
instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was
originating at the time of the accident with a destination of the
Oakland/Troy Airport (KVLL), Troy, Michigan.
The airplane
departed KN98 just prior to the accident. At 0655, the weather
conditions recorded at the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX),
Charlevoix, Michigan, located 16 miles northwest of the accident site
were: wind from 340 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 27 knots, visibility
2.5 miles with light snow, sky condition 2,600 broken, 3,200 broken,
4,200 overcast, temperature -12 degrees Celsius, dew point -16 degrees
Celsius, and altimeter 29.76 inches of mercury.
The pilot used a
commercial computerized flight planning service to file the IFR flight
plan. The flight plan included a proposed departure time from KN98 of
0715. The route of flight was direct to the Grayling very high frequency
omnidirectional range (VOR) then direct to KVLL. There were no known
communications between the airplane and air traffic control.