Cessna 140 accident near Mio, Michigan, August 21, 1995
On August 21, 1995 at about 4:53 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N76429, was destroyed in an accident near Mio, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgement and performance which led to performing a low altitude maneuver with insufficient altitude for recovery. A factor was the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1995 · about 4:53 pm local time
- Place
- Mio, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76429 · no longer on the register · serial 14010855
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed runway 27 and obtained about 10 to 30 feet of vertical clearance with the trees at the end of the airport property. It went into a 60 to 90 degrees angle of bank to the left and leveled out for about 1/4 mile. The airplane went into another ninety degree left bank. The airplane hit trees with the left wing pointing down and landed in an inverted position. Witnesses reported the engine had sounded normal with no sputtering during the flight. Examination of the engine and aircraft failed to reveal any anomalies. The reported local winds were 270 degrees at 11 miles per hour, gusting to 20. The toxicology examination indicated that Chlorpheniramine (0.136 ug/ml) was detected in the blood. This drug is not approved for use while piloting an airplane. Chlorpheniramine is an ingredient in Contact. A witness reported that the pilot had not been feeling well, and that the pilot was lethargic and was just in 'slow motion.' The witness reported that the pilot took one Contact in the morning.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 625 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 571 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 51M at 4:53 pm
- Destination: 76G Marine City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from HTL, 30 miles away
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.