American Champion (Acac) 7AC accident near Whitmore Lake, Michigan, January 4, 2008
On January 4, 2008 at about 8:45 pm local time, a American Champion (Acac) 7AC, registered N85393, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Whitmore Lake, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during cruise and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the precautionary landing. A factor was the snow-covered ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2008 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Whitmore Lake, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion (Acac) 7AC
- Registration
- N85393 · registry record · serial 7AC-4133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot encountered a partial loss of engine power during flight. The use of carburetor heat did not regain the lost power. The pilot performed a precautionary landing to a grass landing strip he had landed at before. The airplane nosed over in the snow upon landing. No pre-impact anomalies were detected. The local temperature and dew point was -2 degrees C and -9 degrees C respectively. The owner's recommendation was to "replace the metal tube with scat tube on carb heat side."
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,050 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1D2 Plymouth MI at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from ARB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.