Detroit - Saginaw

On August 16, 1985 at 07:09 AM, Detroit - Saginaw experienced a crash involving Cessna 404 Titan, operated by Wolverine Air Charter, with the event recorded near South Lyon Michigan.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a plain, valley crash site.

1 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft took off and climbed to 5,000 feet uneventfully. It then dropped off radar and subsequently impacted the ground in a flat upright attitude. A post-crash fire consumed the majority of the airframe. Engine and prop teardowns indicated no abnormalities and power at the time of impact. A fire in the cargo compartment was ruled out by ATF investigators. Main electrical switches were found off in the wreckage. An oxygen bottle in the nose caught fire separately from the rest of the aircraft but it could not be determined if the oxygen fire took place in the air or after impact. The door warning, left and right alt out, left and right hyd flow and left and right low fuel annunciator bulbs exhibited stretched filaments when examined following the crash. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N404EX, MSN 404-0017, year of manufacture 1976.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 42.4514°, -83.6592°.