Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C accident near Traverse City, MI
On July 3, 1998, an Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Traverse City, MI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 3, 1998
- Place
- Traverse City, MI
- Aircraft
- Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.761°N, 85.699°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10483
Official records · CHI98FAMS1
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On July 3, 1998, at 1845 eastern daylight time (edt), an Aero Vodochody L-39C, N7868M, operated by a commercial pilot, was reported missing over Lake Michigan, in the vicinity west- northwest of Traverse City, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger on board have not been found. The local flight departed from the Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan, at 1831 edt. The airplane had been flown from Quincy, Illinois, to Traverse City, Michigan, earlier that day, for the purpose of performing exhibition flights in the National Cherry Festival Airshow, scheduled for July 4-5, 1998. A student at Northwestern Michigan College said that the airplane arrived at Cherry Capital Airport at approximately 1710 edt. A witness at Harbor Air, a fixed base operator on the Cherry Capital Airport, said that following its arrival, the airplane was fueled with 183 gallons of Phillips 66 jet fuel. The Director of the Aviation Division at Northwestern Michigan College said that the college had worked with the Cherry Festival coordinators for several years, housing visiting airplanes used in the airshow. Because of this, arrangements were made so that he and the passenger of the missing airplane (an instructor pilot, also employed by the college), could ride in the L-39C, and a Migoyan-Gurevich (MiG)-21, also owned and operated by Air USA, Incorporated. The witness said that he went up in the MiG- 21, taking off at around 1900
Probable cause
Undetermined.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
