By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its Aviation Investigation Final Report on an airplane crash that killed two people from Indiana on Nov. 23, 2023. Pilot Randy Strebig, 60, and Allison Wheaton, 43, died after their plane, a Socata TBM 700, crashed north of the Mason County Airport just west of Meyers Road on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 26. Two dogs also died in the crash.
The NTSB has determined that ice and snow built up on the airplane’s wings, and Strebig’s decision to fly the plane under those conditions, caused the crash.
“The airplane was removed from an unheated hangar during a period of moderate snowfall,” the final report states. “About 15 minutes later, the instrument-rated pilot taxied the airplane to the runway for departure, with visible snow accumulation on the ground and on the airplane wings, and horizontal stabilizer. The airplane was equipped with wing surface deice boots; however, deice boots are used to dislodge ice that may accumulate while in flight.
NTSB photo
“According to the airplane’s pilot operating handbook, all snow, frost, and ice must be removed from all wing and control surfaces during the preflight inspection. On icy or snow-covered runways, anti-icing fluid must be sprayed on the wings, control surfaces and in landing gear wells, shortly before take-off. The risks of snow and ice accumulation on control surfaces were further outlined in a 2018 service letter (SL) from the airplane manufacturer, which stated that takeoffs with snow or ice adhering to the wings should not be attempted because this could drastically affect performance due to the reduced aerodynamic lift and increased drag resulting from disturbed airflow. The SL further provided the appropriate recommendations to assist the operator in checking proper implementation of on ground de-icing or anti-icing procedures. The departure airport did not offer de-icing or anti-icing services.
“The airport manager, who watched the airplane take off, said the departure appeared to be normal until the left wing dropped shortly after rotation. Another witness said that the airplane was loud and low. She said the airplane was in a left-wing-low attitude before it cleared a line of trees and then impacted the ground. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire.
Randy Strebig and Allison Wheaton.
“The impact and fire damage precluded functional testing of the flight controls, and related systems. Signatures on the engine and propeller were consistent with power and rotation at Page 2 of 9 CEN24FA046 the time of the accident. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The left wing dropping during the climb was likely the result of snow accumulation on the airplane surfaces; the reduced aerodynamic lift and increased drag resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control during the attempted climb after takeoff.”
The report states Strebig had undergone a flight review and instrument proficiency check about seven months before the crash. That review included training in winter weather conditions. The toxicology report detected ibuprofen in Strebig’s system.
Both Strebig and Wheaton were pilots and met at a fly-in 2005. They had been in Mason County visiting friends and were heading from Ludington to Angola, Indiana, just north of Fort Wayne.
Strebig was the founder of Strebig Construction in Fort Wayne, a residential remodeling, roofing and concrete business.
__________________________
Please Support Local News
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
To sign up, email editor@mediagroup31.com. In the subject line write: Subscription. Please supply your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number (indicate cell phone). We will not share your information with any outside sources. For more than one email address in a household, the cost is $15 per month per email address.
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
Payment must be made in advance prior to subscription activation.
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2025, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.
.png)
