Aero Commander 690A N242TC

Summary

On 27 September 1993 at about 15:23 local time, a Aero Commander 690A registered N242TC, operated by Midwest Flying Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Lansing, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 September 1993 at 15:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Lansing, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.7304, -84.6410

Aircraft

Aero Commander 690A

Registration

N242TC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Midwest Flying Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Battle Creek

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI93FA378

2 people died.

was the pilot-in-command not maintaining aircraft control during the intermittent operation of the electrically operated attitude gyro. Factor's associated with this accident are an fluctuating (intermittent) electrical system inverter and the pilot-in-command not performing remedial action by using the vacuum powered attitude gyro and other flight instruments once the airplane was making a series of climbs, descents, and heading changes.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED IN IMC CONDITIONS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT TOLD THE DEPARTURE CONTROLLER HE HAD '...A PROBLEM.' THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT PATH WAS A SERIES OF LEFTHAND TURNS WHILE PERFORMING DESCENTS AND ASCENTS. REPORTS OF ENGINE SOUNDS VARIED FROM HIGH RPM TO LOW RPM. MANY WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING OUT OF, AND CLIMBING INTO, CLOUDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A 45 DEGREE ANGLE DESCENT, RIGHT WING LOW, AS IT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION FOUND AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRIC GYRO SYSTEM INVERTER, A BROKEN FILAMENT ON THE INVERTER POWER 'OUT' LIGHT BULB, ELECTRICALLY POWERED GYRO'S ROTORS DID NOT HAVE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE, AND A VACUUM POWERED ATTITUDE INDICATOR ROTOR WITH ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT STATED 45 MG/DL OF ETHANOL DETECTED IN HIS MUSCLE TISSUE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.