20000726040939A

(.4) On July 26, 2000, about 1905 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20E, N5727Q, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Lunenburg, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from the wood county airport (pkb), parkersburg, west Virginia, about 1435. According to the pilot's brother, the pilot intended to fly from Texas to Maine, with a stop in Massachusetts. The pilot contacted the elkins flight service station (fss), elkins, west Virginia, at 1404. According to a voice recording of the pilot's briefing, the pilot requested weather information for a flight that would be conducted between pkb and lawrence, Massachusetts, and repeatedly stated to the fss briefer that he might have to change his planned route to avoid bad weather. The briefer cautioned the pilot about weather that was in the albany (alb), new york area, and the pilot replied that he might go up to glen falls, new york and then on to concord, new hampshire. The pilot contacted the fss a second time at 1422, to request weather information between pkb and concord, new hampshire. The pilot was advised that the forecasted cloud layer "tops," in the northwestern and southwestern portions of Pennsylvania, were 6,000 feet. The "tops" forecasted for eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and rhode island, were 25,000 feet, and the "tops" for new hampshire and Vermont were 8,000 feet. After receiving the weather information, the pilot stated to the briefer that, "I might have to shoot for alb, and if I have problems there, I can vector to the north of alb, I guess, and escape some of that stuff." The pilot did not file either a visual flight rules flight plan or an instrument flight rules flight plan during either contact with the fss. Witnesses who lived near the accident site reported they had heard and seen an airplane fly overhead about the time of the accident. They noted that the airplane's engine was "sputtering" and black smoke was coming from it. The accident occurred during the hours of twilight, approximately 42 degrees, 36 minutes north latitude, and 71 degrees, 45 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of 555 feet mean sea level. (-23) the pilot of the aircraft held a private pilot certificate and current third class medical certificate. The pilot was not instrument rated. The pilot obtained two weather briefings from the elkins, WV, fss. Briefing #1 was for lawrence, MA. Briefing #2 was for concord, NH. The pilot departed parkersburg, WV on a VFR flight. The pilot did not file a flight plan. No evidence could be found to indicate that the pilot had utilized any of the ATC facilities available to him. The weather conditions throughout eastern pa, n.j., CT, eastern n.y., and ma were IFR at the time of the flight. The transponder was found in the "off" position at the accident scene, showing a code of 1200. ATC was unable to find any 1200 codes in the vicinity at the time of the accident. There was no evidence of fuel at the accident scene. Examination of the engine showed that the fuel line connected to the fuel divider manifold and the fuel servo did not contain any fuel.