Michael Trapp was doing just fine, thank you very much, as he guided his 1966 Cessna 150 out over the waters of Lake Huron. It was midafternoon on July 26, 2011. He was cruising along at an easy 3,000 feet, on his way to a family reunion in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, from his home in Gouverneur, New York, in the northern part of the state. His wife, Julie, had voiced her disapproval — even asked him to make out a will if he insisted on going — but he had brushed her off. True, it was his longest trip to date, and yes, the plane was older than he was, and sure, he had never before had to cross “big water,” and OK, he had only 130 hours of flying under his belt — but, really, what could go wrong? He had made hundreds of takeoffs and landings, had mapped out his route carefully, and had even left a day ahead of schedule to avoid bad weather.

(In: http://www.rd.com/true-stories/survival/mayday/ - Reader's Digest - February 2012)