Final report blames 2023 Michigan crash on ice and snow on the wings

?(Image from Aviation 24/7 Facebook)The NTSB has released the final report on a Socata TBM 700 that crashed in Michigan on Nov. 26, 2026. The aircraft was removed from a unheated hangar at Ludington-Mason County Airport (LDM) while it was snowing. It was taxied to the runway 15 minutes later, accumulating snow on the wings and horizontal stabilizer. While the aircraft was equipped with wing surface deice boots, these are only used to dislodge ice that accumulates during flight. The airport manager who watched the aircraft's take off said that the departure appeared normal until the left wing dropped shortly after rotation. Another witness reported that it was loud and flying in a left-wing-low attitude before it crashed into a snow-covered field about a quarter of a mile from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-impact fire. Both the pilot and passenger died. RELATED STORIES: German institute researches removing ice from aircraft wings with vibrations Preliminary report on weather balloon impact on United Airlines windshield NTSB publishes final report on 2023 crash that killed Senior VP of AOPA Air Safety Institute The report states the probable cause of the accident is the pilot's decision to take off with ice and snow on the wings, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. All snow, frost and ice must be removed from all wing and control surfaces during the preflight inspection and anti-icing fluid must be sprayed on the wings, control surfaces and in landing gear wells when taking off from icy or snow-covered runways. Ice forming on wings reduces lift, increases drag, impairs the mobility of flight control surfaces and can cause an aircraft to stall in the air. It can form at any time of the year due to passing through clouds or layers of cold, moist air after takeoff or on approach.