Aero Commander 690A accident near Lansing, Michigan, September 27, 1993
On September 27, 1993 at about 3:23 pm local time, a Aero Commander 690A, registered N242TC, was destroyed in an accident near Lansing, Michigan. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1993 · about 3:23 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 690A · all 690As on the register
- Registration
- N242TC · registry record · serial 11219
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,790 hours in all; 8,347 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,373 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 29, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 10,250 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-5 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Midwest Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Destination: BTL Battle Creek MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft; not recorded at 300 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:10 pm from LAN, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.