Cessna 206 Ditched In Lake Michigan, Four People Were Fatally Injured

The pilot of a medical flight on its way to Rochester, MN was the only survivor when he was forced to ditch the Cessna 206 he was flying in Lake Michigan following an apparent engine failure. The NTSB reports that the engine of the plane was separated by the force of the impact, but was recovered and has been sent to its manufacturer for analysis.

NTSB Identification: CEN10FA465
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 23, 2010 in Ludington, MI
Aircraft: CESSNA 206, registration: N82531
Injuries: 4 Fatal, 1 Minor.

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.

On July 23, 2010, at 1017 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 206, N82531, sustained substantial damage when it was ditched in Lake Michigan about 5 miles west of Ludington, Michigan, after a reported loss of engine power. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight departed the Gratiot Community Airport (KAMN), Alma, Michigan, at 0850 en route to Rochester International Airport (KRST), Rochester, Minnesota. The airplane was over Lake Michigan at 10,000 feet msl when the engine lost power. The pilot reversed course but was unable to reach the shore, and he ditched the airplane. The pilot survived and was rescued by a fishing boat about 38 minutes later. The pilot rated passenger and three other passengers did not survive. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to take one of the passengers to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The flight was a personal flight and was not associated with a charity organization. The patient and his wife were seated in the aft seats, seats 5 and 6. The patient’s doctor was sitting in the middle row in seat 3 on the left (Seat 4 had been removed). The pilot was in the left front seat and the pilot rated passenger was in the right front seat, seat 2. The fuel tanks were filled to capacity the night before the flight. He reported that after climbing to 10,000 feet msl, he leaned the fuel mixture to approximately 14 gph.

All the instrument readings were within normal limits as they crossed the shore near Ludington, Michigan. The head winds were about 40 knots “directly on the nose.” About mid-point over the lake, the engine began to misfire and lose power, with the fuel flow dropping to about 11 gph. The pilot attempted to regain power by pushing in the mixture control to full rich but without effect. He contacted the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC) and reported that the airplane was losing power, and he reversed course toward the Michigan shoreline. The fuel flow dropped to about 8 gph. The pilot switched fuel tanks and adjusted the mixture control in and out to try to regain power. He reported that he turned on the high boost pump and got a short burst of power for about 30 – 45 seconds, but then the engine “failed completely.”

The airplane descended through a cloud layer. The pilot reported that they had a few minutes before water impact after breaking out of the clouds, so he had everyone don and inflate their life vests. Before impact, the pilot unlatched the pilot’s door on the left side of the airplane, and he had the front door of the rear cargo door unlatched. The pilot reported that he did not lower the flaps since the cargo doors would not open if the flaps were extended.

Cessna 206 File Photo

The pilot reported that when he ditched the airplane, either the tail or the landing gear hit a swell as he pulled up to go over a swell. The airplane pitched forward, flipped over on its back, and began to fill with water. The pilot unbuckled his seat belt and shoulder harness, fell a short distance, pushed the door open, and got out. He reported that the airplane was sinking rapidly. He saw the right seat passenger and the doctor in the water. A wave hit the pilot and when he resurfaced, “everything was gone.” He kept yelling but got no response. He eventually started to swim toward the shoreline. About 30 minutes later a US Coast Guard helicopter flew over him but they did not spot him. A few minutes later a fishing boat spotted him and rescued him from the water. He was transferred to a Coast Guard vessel and was taken to shore.

Using their side scanning sonar, the Michigan State Police Dive Team located the airplane in about 173 feet of water on July 30. The dive team recovered all the bodies, with the last body being recovered on the morning of August 1, 2010.

The airplane and engine were separated by the water impact. Both were raised to the surface by a local commercial recovery service on August 1, 2010. The airplane and engine were taken to a local facility where the National Transportation Safety Board conducted its on-site investigation. The engine was shipped to the engine manufacturer for further inspection.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov