Fatal Cessna 172N Crash Near Holland, Michigan (N8405E)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On January 17, 2010, at 1004 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, registration N8405E, was destroyed when it impacted snow-covered terrain near Holland, Michigan. The aircraft, operated by Tulip Air Service, was piloted by a commercial pilot and carried one passenger. Both occupants were fatally injured. The flight originated from Tulip City Airport at approximately 0945 and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a filed flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot had rented the aircraft to give rides to friends and had postponed the initial departure due to poor weather. After fueling the aircraft to capacity, the pilot took off on runway 08 and disappeared into the overcast. Witnesses reported hearing the aircraft make five passes over the airport, with the final pass observed at approximately 50 feet above the ground, barely clearing trees. The pilot subsequently contacted Muskegon Approach Control, stating he was caught in fog and requested vectors to runway 8. When asked if he was IFR, the pilot stated he wanted to file a quick IFR flight plan. The controller assigned a transponder code of 0-4-3-0, which the pilot did not acknowledge. The last radar contact placed the aircraft 4 miles south of Tulip City at 1,500 feet above ground level. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) beacon was detected shortly thereafter, and the wreckage was located at approximately 1130.