- Date
- July 3, 1992, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oconto Falls, WI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N231FWMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920703023769A
- Case key
- 15296
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstructions during a low pass.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Friends and family of the 69-year-OLD pilot were visiting at his cottage over the fourth of July holiday. The pilot's stated intention was to fly his airplane to pick up his girlfriend. The friends reported they observed the airplane fly 'low over the back yard it started going up...again after he got out of sight...we all heard loud banging, crackling noises...' The friends/relatives reported the pilot had made low passes over the cottage on previous occasions, but he seemed lower than usual on this pass. They stated: 'we thought he was playing a joke on us possibly with fire crackers...' Damage to trees and wreckage debris revealed the airplanes right wing impacted a tree about 75 feet above the ground. The outboard section of the right wing separated and the airplane descended through the trees, coming to rest inverted. Post-accident investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231FW
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0228
- Airframe hours
- 1,525
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-GB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Baldwin, Mark
- Registered owner
- Baldwin, Mark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 1992 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- OCQ · Oconto, WI
- Destination
- SUE · Sturgeon Bay, WI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,109 total · 500 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRB, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.