Beech B-60 accident near Carp Lake, Michigan, December 14, 1985
On December 14, 1985 at about 8:38 pm local time, a Beech B-60, registered N24RT, was destroyed in an accident near Carp Lake, Michigan (Emmet County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1985 · about 8:38 pm local time
- Place
- Carp Lake, Michigan · Emmet County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-60 · all B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N24RT · registry record · serial P-329
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT REPORTED A PROBLEM WITH HIS #1 NAV, BUT SAID HE WOULD TRY TO MAKE AN ILS APCH. HE SAID HE WOULD RETURN TO PONTIAC, IF HIS ILS DID NOT WORK. ARTCC CLEARED HIM FOR THE ILS RWY 32 APCH & INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTACT PELLSTON RADIO (FSS). AT 1525, HE CALLED THE FSS & REPORTED HE WAS 20 MI SOUTH. AT APRX 1534, THE FSS SPECIALIST HEARD AN ACFT FLY OVER, BUT DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS N24RT. HE ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS MAKING A MISSED APCH. THE PLT GAVE A NEGATIVE REPLY & REPORTED HE WAS PICKING UP THE GLIDE SLOPE, THEN SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS #1 NAV. A WITNESS ABOUT 6 MI NORTH & WEST OF THE ARPT SAW THE ACFT ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES, CRASHED & BURNED APRX 8 MI FROM THE ARPT AT AN APRX ELEV OF 900 FT. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 720 FT. THE NAV EQUIPMENT WAS TOO BADLY DAMAGED DRG THE ACDNT TO BE TESTED. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT RADIO LOG, THE LAST VOR CHECK WAS ON 9/10/83. THE PLT HAD LOGGED 5.4 HRS OF INSTRUMENT TIME DRG THE PREV 6 MOS, BUT HAD NOT LOGGED ANY APCHS.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 910 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,684 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1985; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Commander Charter, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PIK Pontiac MI at 7:16 pm
- Destination: PLN Pellston MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 6,512 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from PLN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.