BEAVER ISLAND — A mistake made by the pilot during the landing is the cause of the plane crash in November 2021 that claimed the lives of four people.
It was a Saturday afternoon in November of 2021 when an Island Airways plane took off from the Charlevoix Airport headed towards Welke Airport on Beaver Island.
The passengers on board along with the pilot William Jullian, were islanders Kate Leese and Adam Kendall, as well as a Gaylord man, Mike Perdue with his 11-year-old daughter.
The plane was closing in on the airport, but as they descended the pilot lost control and crashed just 300 feet from the runway.
Leese, Kendall, Perdue and Jullian all died in the crash with Perdue’s daughter being the lone survivor.
According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the chief pilot for the operator witnessed the accident saying the plane appeared to be flying nose-up with no power. He said it was “wallowing” and looked like no one was flying the airplane.
The report explained that the speed of the plane dropped too low during the approach. That along with the pilot lifting the nose of the plane resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin at an altitude too low for the pilot to recover.
Further evaluation of the airplane verified there was no engine failure nor pre-impact signs of the airplane, engines or it’s systems.
Jullian was hired by Island Airways in March of 2021 and passed the airman competency and proficiency check July 21, 2021, a little more than three months before the accident.
In the report, NTSB explained that while it may seem counterintuitive, reducing the angle of attack by lowering the plane’s nose at the first indication of a stall is the most important immediate response to avoid or recover from a stall.
