What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/26/2025 a Piper PA28 single engine airplane was destroyed after impacting terrain in the area of Manchester, VT. The pilot sustained a serious injury and the two passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane impacted heavily wooded terrain on the side of a mountain and came to rest in about 4 feet of snow.
Both wings were sheared off of the airplane. The fuselage was partially buried in the snow and the engine compartment and propeller were not able to be reached after removing three feet of snow. Due to the difficult terrain and conditions, the responding inspectors were not able to locate all of the airplane pieces. Additionally, between the time of the accident and the inspectors arriving on scene, about another 5-6 inches of fresh snow fell.
The flight was operated under part 91 as a personal flight. The aircraft departed baltimore MD (kmtn) at about 0605 hours and was destined for rutland VT (krut). No flight plan was filed for the flight and no weather briefing was obtained. The PIC holds a private pilot certificate with single engine land rating. The PIC did not hold an instrument rating. The PA28 airplane was IFR certificated but did not possess an anti-ice or de-ice with the exception of carburetor heat and pitot heat.
Weather at the destination about 22 mile northeast was 10 miles visibility, broken clouds at 2,000 feet with light winds. The nearest weather was 17 miles southwest and was 8 miles visibility, broken at 1,100 feet with light winds.
The pilot reported that he continued flight into deteriorating weather and attempted to climb through the cloud layer to get above it. After entering the clouds the pilot reported rapid ice accumulation followed by multiple stalls and eventual flight into terrain during a stall.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/26/2025 A PIPER PA28 SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN IN THE AREA OF MANCHESTER, VT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY AND THE TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN AND CAME TO REST IN ABOUT 4 FEET OF SNOW.
BOTH WINGS WERE SHEARED OFF OF THE AIRPLANE. THE FUSELAGE WAS PARTIALLY BURIED IN THE SNOW AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PROPELLER WERE NOT ABLE TO BE REACHED AFTER REMOVING THREE FEET OF SNOW. DUE TO THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN AND CONDITIONS, THE RESPONDING INSPECTORS WERE NOT ABLE TO LOCATE ALL OF THE AIRPLANE PIECES. ADDITIONALLY, BETWEEN THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE INSPECTORS ARRIVING ON SCENE, ABOUT ANOTHER 5-6 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW FELL.
THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BALTIMORE MD (KMTN) AT ABOUT 0605 HOURS AND WAS DESTINED FOR RUTLAND VT (KRUT). NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT AND NO WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED. THE PIC HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. THE PIC DID NOT HOLD AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE PA28 AIRPLANE WAS IFR CERTIFICATED BUT DID NOT POSSESS AN ANTI-ICE OR DE-ICE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CARBURETOR HEAT AND PITOT HEAT.
WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION ABOUT 22 MILE NORTHEAST WAS 10 MILES VISIBILITY, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 2,000 FEET WITH LIGHT WINDS. THE NEAREST WEATHER WAS 17 MILES SOUTHWEST AND WAS 8 MILES VISIBILITY, BROKEN AT 1,100 FEET WITH LIGHT WINDS.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO DETERIORATING WEATHER AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER TO GET ABOVE IT. AFTER ENTERING THE CLOUDS THE PILOT REPORTED RAPID ICE ACCUMULATION FOLLOWED BY MULTIPLE STALLS AND EVENTUAL FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN DURING A STALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.