Aero Commander 500B accident near Gaylord, Michigan, November 16, 2005
On November 16, 2005 at about 11:03 pm local time, a Aero Commander 500B, registered N1153C, was destroyed in an accident near Gaylord, Michigan (Gaylord Regional airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The clearance not maintained with terrain during a nonprecision approach. Contributing factors were the ceiling, visibility, night conditions, and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2005 · about 11:03 pm local time
- Place
- Gaylord, Michigan · Gaylord Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500B · all 500Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1153C · no longer on the register · serial 1474-169
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was operated as an on-demand cargo flight that impacted trees and terrain about one mile from the destination airport during a non-precision approach. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was equipped with an "icing protection system" and a report by another airplane that flew the approach and landed without incident indicated that light rime icing was encountered during the approach. Radar data shows that the accident airplane flew the localizer course inbound and began a descent past the final approach fix. No mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,786 hours in all; 170 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI at 10:09 pm
- Destination: GLR Gaylord MI
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from GLR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.