Cessna 172 accident near Holland, MI

On January 17, 2010, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Holland, MI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

January 17, 2010

Place

Holland, MI

Aircraft

Cessna 172 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

42.676°N, 86.126°W

NTSB ID

20100119X42713

Official records · CEN10FA101

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Air Traffic Control Group Chairman's Factual Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 17, 2010, at 1004 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N8405E, registered to and operated by Tulip Air Service and piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it impacted snow-covered terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Holland, Michigan. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane were fatally injured. The local flight originated from the Tulip City Airport, Holland, Michigan, approximately 0945. According to the operator, the pilot had rented the airplane for most of the day to give rides to his friends. He and his first passenger arrived at the airport approximately 0800. After checking his file, the front office worker gave the pilot the airplane’s keys. Due to the poor weather conditions, the pilot postponed the flight. While he gave his passenger a tour of the facilities, he had the airplane fueled to capacity. As the lineman fueled the airplane, the pilot told him that he planned to take off and, if necessary, he would file an IFR flight plan with Muskegon Approach Control and return to the airport. He then preflighted the airplane. Approximately 0945, the lineman and the front office worker saw the airplane take off on runway 08 and disappear into the overcast. The front office worker said he was “very concerned” that they took off without filing an instrument flight plan or receivin

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to take off in known instrument meteorological conditions without instrument currency or recent instrument experience, which led to spatial disorientation resulting in an inadvertent spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of adequate rest prior to the flight.

More accidents in MI

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• Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Dec 3, 1990

Browse: Michigan · Cessna aircraft

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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.