Pilot Debrief

BEECH V35 near Frankfort, MI — 2019-05-13

Final reportCEN19FA165
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Date
2019-05-13
Location
Frankfort, MI, USA
Aircraft
BEECH V35
Registration
N1561Z
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot and passenger were conducting a cross-country flight. A little over an hour into the flight over Lake Michigan, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting an engine failure. Radar data indicated that the airplane's flight track diverted to the nearest airport shortly after the pilot declared the emergency. Radar and radio communications were lost about 7 minutes later, when the airplane was about 4 nm west of Frankfort, Michigan, at an altitude of 700 ft and an airspeed of 77 mph. Ten days later, using a remotely operated underwater vehicle to search Lake Michigan in the area of the airplane's last radar contact, the Michigan State Police located the airplane at a water depth of 540 ft. The wreckage was not recovered; therefore, the engine could not be examined, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have diverted earlier after first engine failure report.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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