Piper down in Lake Michigan

[FN FAL]

I flew over the lake this past summer in a C172. Although it was a tad bit scary I think it was a risk I would take again. I had full fuel, life jackets, the water would be semi-warm, it was vfr and I was on an ifr flight plan. If something were to happen I could have let ATC know right away and the CG would have sent not long after. Gliding from 8000 would take pleanty of time... who knows CG might be within miles when I landed.

Here's some food for thought.

I was taking off in a cherry lease back C-182 out of a metro airport and was flying just under 20 minutes back to home base. After departure, the engine developed a roughness that I couldn't trouble shoot and my position was just on the outskirts of the built up urban area by this airport.

I decided not to turn back and risk having an engine quit over a well populated city and continued on to my destination. Mixture, mags, throttle changes, carb heat on/off, what ever...the roughness wouldn't go away and there was no loss of oil pressure or high oil temp. Memory told me that the plane had gone into the shop recently for a new engine mount and a cylinder. My brain was wondering..."am I losing a blade tip?"

My entire route back to home base was over gentle rolling farm land, so I just assessed off airport landing spots and kept moving on. There were so many suitable landing areas, I joked to myself that I was going to look for the place that didn't have empty budweiser cans in the garbage and land there. Can't stand bud.

When I landed at home base, I pulled the throttle back in the flare and the engine quit. The plane had to be towed off the runway, it wouldn't re-start.

The culprit? The crossover tube for the intake manifold had broken a piece off and it fell out the bottom of the cowling, presumably...hopefully, on the hood of some knob's Jaguar.

I'm sure the plane would have kept running, but I don't think I would like to be flying at night, over mountainous terrain or a large body of cold water when that happened.

 

[greygoose]

I cross mighty michigan every night. I was getting into MKE that night at 0625Z and the cc helicopter was still not there. It hadnt arrived for another 10 to 15 mins after I landed.

 

[migio]

Same thing happened almost 10 years ago...

Last time this happened,it was at night,in IMC,in another single engine piper.I think the pilot died upon impact on this one though.Still,i wouldnt cross the lake on the hottest VFR day without a life raft/PFD.In fact,im not sure i would even want to do that.The water in Lake Michigan is ALLWAYS cold.A/C was found in 192 feet of water 2 months later.Check out the full narrative on this one....

NTSB Identification: CHI96FA113 .
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Public Inquiries
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 17, 1996 in MILWAUKEE, WI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/19/1996
Aircraft: Piper PA-32, registration: N3326Q
Injuries: 1 Fatal. The pilot was flying at night, over Lake Michigan, in IFR conditions when he informed Milwaukee Approach that the engine had quit. He was 20 miles northeast of Milwaukee. He was able to glide about 12 miles before impacting the water. The body of the pilot and airplane were recovered about two months after the accident. Examination of the engine driven fuel pump revealed that a 3/4 inch rubber washer was restricting the fuel flow through the outflow valve of the pump. Airworthiness Directive (AD) 93-11-11 states that the remanufactured fuel pump was to be replaced before the next flight in order 'to prevent disruption of fuel flow to the engine, which can result in a loss of engine power.' The AD had not been complied with.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

Inadequate maintenance and inspection in that the Airworthiness Directive which applied to the fuel pump had not been complied with. A factor was the pilot was unable to reach land. Full narrative available Index for Jan1996 | Index of months

 

[FlyLady]

It is tragic and I am truly saddened by the loss of such a young pilot. However, I think it could have been avoided. The pilot reportedly only had about 150 hours under his belt. He was not instrument rated. As a longtime boater on Lake Michigan, I can tell you that on a cloudy night (which on Monday it was), Lake Michigan can be total blackness with no horizon to speak of. IMO, he shouldn't have even been making that flight as a VFR pilot. And, if he truly did run out of fuel and it wasn't a malfunction in the plane, then I would say here is a classic case of over-confidence.


Very sad, he was so young. May God rest his soul.

 

[VampyreGTX]

I do recall that at least the ground level winds that day were quote strong out of the west and I can only guess that the upper-level winds were even stronger and relatviely out of the same direction. That meant he would have had a strong headwind to work against, which would have contributed to him underestimating the fuel necessary if the winds were stronger than expected.

We'll see what the report has to say and let's hope we all learn from this.

 

[VampyreGTX]

Initial report is out:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050428X00522&key=1

So he did communicate with ATC about the fuel starvation. He was also off on his location estimate in his 911 call (not by much though), telling the operator that he was 5 miles east of Milwaukee airport. The report places him 6.3 miles off the coast, so about 8 miles from the airport, though I'm not sure how they arrived at the location. It doesn't mention anything about his stop in Michigan and I have seen no mention or quotes from anyone that he fueled up there. What is the distance that plane can cover on full fuel with no winds?

 

[FlyLady]

It doesn't mention anything about his stop in Michigan and I have seen no mention or quotes from anyone that he fueled up there. What is the distance that plane can cover on full fuel with no winds?

The plane was a Piper Archer II. On full tanks, you can expect AT LEAST 4 hours flight time. Airspeed is around 120 kts. Where he was crossing is around 75-80 nm from shore to shore. Like I said before: Unless there was some sort of fuel leak or malfunction, there is not way he should have run out of fuel if he would've fueled up just prior crossing the lake. Even if his groundspeed was down to 50 kts due to headwind, he still should not have run out if he would've fueled up just prior crossing the lake. And if the problem was no FBO open, then he should have waited........

get-home-itis.....

 

[VampyreGTX]

I hope it wasn't get-home-itis. But a flight from the departure airport to milwaukee is about 4.5 hours at a GS of 120.... and that is filing direct. Sounds like right at the fuel envelope, with no reserve. Since they probalby won't raise the plane, I doubt we'll know if it was fuel starvation or a malfunction.

 

[SWA/FO]

the only time I have ever crossed Lake Michigan was in a Falcon 20 or a 737. You would have 10 minutes if you were dropped off in the middle of the lake in August.

 

[funky]

How prevalent are life rafts @ FBOs up there? I would think that FBO near the lakes should at least be able to rent one for very little cost.

I personally would never fly over ANY body of water beyond gliding distance, without a raft. Especially down here in Florida. Too many sharks for my comfort. Tough break for the kid. I wonder if he thought he would make it back easily because he did the eastbound trip no problem? Very sad.

 

[TheChief]

What are your chances of surviving in lake michigan in the summer? 1/2 hour or so...it can't be too much warmer?

 

[FlyLady]

What are your chances of surviving in lake michigan in the summer? 1/2 hour or so...it can't be too much warmer?

Right now Lake Michigan temp is around 45 deg F. The surface temp CAN and DOES get to 75 deg F by late August. BUT it all depends on where you measure. Normally the water is warmer towards the shore and cooler out deeper. Surface temp is warm, bottom temp cool, even in late summer. BUT when the winds blow strongly from the shore for several days, the lake "turns over", literally. And you end up with 50 deg water in shore and 75 deg water 15 miles out. The warm surface water is pushed out and the cool bottom water replaces it.

The Great Lakes are pretty amazing and should be respected. This pilot did not respect the danger of Lake Michigan.

 

[VampyreGTX]

How prevalent are life rafts @ FBOs up there? I would think that FBO near the lakes should at least be able to rent one for very little cost.

I don't know of one FBO out here that has life rafts for rent. (even the flying club I use does not have them, you have to provide your own flotation gear.

 

[migio]

lake temp

I have never experienced temps in the lake(west side MKE area) anywhere near 75F and i lived in Milwaukee for over 25 years.If it has ever gotten that warm,it probably happened during our warmest summer.I believe most of the time the temps at the shores dont exceed 60F,even during august.So,during the summer,if you were to ditch,you wouldnt last long,even with a life preserver,the water is just too cold.Even flying across the lake in a twin is a little daunting,unless your starting to cross one of the shores up at the flight levels,say upper 20's low 30's.Just my .02

 

[WMUSIGPI]

How prevalent are life rafts @ FBOs up there? I would think that FBO near the lakes should at least be able to rent one for very little cost.

I personally would never fly over ANY body of water beyond gliding distance, without a raft. Especially down here in Florida. Too many sharks for my comfort. Tough break for the kid. I wonder if he thought he would make it back easily because he did the eastbound trip no problem? Very sad.

You are more likely to find in the rental agreement a clause prohibiting flying beyond gliding distance of land than an fbo that has rafts to rent in the Great Lakes area. Every place I ever rented from in Michigan had that restriction for its single engine rentals. None prohibited the multiengine rentals from crossing the lakes.

 

[Donsa320]

I hope it wasn't get-home-itis. But a flight from the departure airport to milwaukee is about 4.5 hours at a GS of 120.... and that is filing direct. Sounds like right at the fuel envelope, with no reserve. Since they probalby won't raise the plane, I doubt we'll know if it was fuel starvation or a malfunction.

The airplane was located today and will be raised in a day or two, according to local TV reports. It is in 50 ft of water.

There is a lot more info coming out but I'd best wait for some official statements.

~DC

 

[UnAnswerd]

What are your chances of surviving in lake michigan in the summer? 1/2 hour or so...it can't be too much warmer?

Make no mistake. You can and will become hypothermic in 85 degree water, assuming an exposure time of several hours. Water can be lethal, regardless of its temperature. Your best insurance besides a raft is a life-preserver. Even in very cold water, they will buy you a large amount of time. Without a life preserver, you die when you lose conciseness. With one, that's not always the case, and it buys you time much needed time when people are searching for you.

 

[TonyC]

Without a life preserver, you die when you lose conciseness.

So, when you're long-winded and talk a lot and don't stop thinking of ways to re-state what you've already previously stated before, you're doomed? Or was that too brief, too?













Sorry - - I couldn't resist!

 

[FN FAL]

I have never experienced temps in the lake(west side MKE area) anywhere near 75F and i lived in Milwaukee for over 25 years.If it has ever gotten that warm,it probably happened during our warmest summer.I believe most of the time the temps at the shores dont exceed 60F,even during august.So,during the summer,if you were to ditch,you wouldnt last long,even with a life preserver,the water is just too cold.Even flying across the lake in a twin is a little daunting,unless your starting to cross one of the shores up at the flight levels,say upper 20's low 30's.Just my .02

To each his own, lots of twins have gone in right after rotation because of the good engine.

I can think of two Democrat politicians that died in twin crashes in recent times...two engines didn't save them.

People take off and land in singles over densly populated urban areas without even giving it a thought...lose one there and you get a telephone pole, building or semi up side the head. Flying at IMC at night over land in a single? What's the difference between that and a lake?

 

[FlyLady]

I have never experienced temps in the lake(west side MKE area) anywhere near 75F and i lived in Milwaukee for over 25 years.If it has ever gotten that warm,it probably happened during our warmest summer.I believe most of the time the temps at the shores dont exceed 60F,even during august.

I've spent many years fishing on Lake Michigan (IL/WI border). The surface temp of the water does indeed get up past 70 deg, every year in late summer.