Michigan, 19 Year Old Troy Brothers And Family
Members Die In Plane Crash
By
Mike Mitchell
June 22, 2013 - On Friday about 1:40 PM a Cessna
172 departed Oakland County International
Airport (KPTK) Pontiac, Michigan for a pleasure
flight with four onboard. Upon takeoff at or
about 100 feet above runway 9 the pilot
reported to air traffic control that (aircraft)
“we’re a little over weight ... we’re going to
have to come back and land”. The aircraft
crashed killing all onboard.
The pilot, 19 year old Troy Brothers’ intention
was to take his family up for a pleasure flight
before he left to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Onboard the 172M Skyhawk, N9926Q, were his
mother Sandra Haley 53, his step dad James Haley
58 and his brother in-law Jaime Jose 34.
The aircraft owned by Flight 101 LLC, a flight
school located at the airport, was destroyed and
consumed by fire when it crashed in a field at
the end of the 5,600 foot runway north end of
the airport. The pilot and the other two males
were pronounced dead at the crash site. The
pilot’s mother, Sandra Haley was airlifted from
the scene and pronounced dead at a Pontiac
hospital. Airport officials shut the airport
down for about 2 1/2 hours following the crash.
Troy Michael Brothers of Fraser, Michigan had
just received his private pilot’s license on May
2, 2013, for a single engine land aircraft. The
night before the crash, Brothers celebrating his
birthday came up with the idea to take the
family up for a pleasure flight the next day as
he would be leaving for the Naval Academy.
The aircraft was powered by a Lycoming 0-320
series engine of 150 horsepower to 160
horsepower. This aircraft was most likely
powered by a 150 HP. For arguments sake this
aircraft should have been able to carry four
adults if proper weight and balance calculations
were performed.
Taking into account fuel onboard, weather conditions
(density altitude), weights of adults and any baggage
brought onto the aircraft. In most cases a flight like
this would require the aircraft fuel tanks to be less
than full on takeoff. However, an aircraft this size
with four adults is not a good start. Weight and balance
calculations would determine the maximum fuel that could
be carried in the tanks of this aircraft at takeoff. The
NTSB has begun its investigation and it most likely will
center its investigation on this aircrafts takeoff
weight. In general this aircraft has a Gross Weight of
2300 lbs with an Empty Weight of 1335 lbs. It can hold
42 gallons of fuel.
This Cessna 172 Skyhawk was a four seat single
engine fixed high wing aircraft which was
manufactured in 1975, by the Cessna Aircraft
Company. This particular model, the Cessna 172M was
manufactured between 1973 and 1976. The aircraft
gained a drooped wing leading edge for improved low
speed handling. This was marketed as the "camber
lift" wing. In 1975 the Cessna 172M model sold for
US$16,055. Cessna made a total of 7306 "M" models
over the four years it was manufactured.
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