# NTSB ERA25FA058: Mooney M20J, N58156, Windham, NY, November 24, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report - Date: November 24, 2024, 18:09 local (23:09 UTC) - Place: Windham, NY · Windham High Peak Mountain - Coordinates: 42.30798, -74.1499 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3080&lon=-74.1499&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Investigation ongoing - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: Lycoming, FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 195542 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25FA058 - NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195542/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA058 ## Preliminary report On November 24, 2024, at about 1809 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20J, N58156, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Windham, New York. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed from Harford County Airport (0W3), Churchville, Maryland around 1640 and was destined for Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, New York. Sunset at ALB had occurred at 1625 and the end of civil twilight was at 1656. Preliminary ADS-B data revealed that after departing 0W3, the airplane flew north-east toward ALB. The ADS-B data revealed that around 1802, the airplane was at an altitude of about 5,000 ft msl and began a shallow descent. At around 1805, the ADS-B data showed that the airplane descended below 4,000 ft, and by 1807, the airplane had descended below 3,500 ft. The airplane’s last ADS-B derived position was recorded about 1808, with the airplane approximately 720 ft (laterally) from the initial impact point at the accident site. The last ADS-B data point reported the airplane’s altitude as 3,025 ft, which was within 100 ft of the elevation of the accident site. The pilot had been in contact with air traffic control (ATC) prior to the accident and was receiving visual flight rules flight following services. While in contact with ATC, the pilot reported moderate to heavy turbulence at his reported altitude of 5,000 ft. The pilot subsequently descended to about 4,300 ft and reported that the turbulence had subsided to light to moderate turbulence, and this was the pilot’s last transmission to ATC. While in contact with ATC, the pilot did not make any distress calls. Figure 1 – The accident airplane’s ADS-B flight track (green arrows) and the annotated location of the accident site (red circle). The airplane impacted wooded, mountainous terrain at an elevation of 3,090 ft. The accident site was located below the mountain’s peak at an elevation of 3,524 ft. The first identified impact points were two trees that were approximately 80 ft from the where the airplane’s fuselage came to rest. Each tree had one of the airplane’s flaps wrapped around the trunk, at a height about 30 ft above the ground. A tree to the left of the initial impact trees contained remnants of the left aileron and wing, which were also approximately 30 ft up in the tree. The primary wreckage location consisted of the fuselage, empennage, engine, and propeller. The fuselage came to rest oriented on a heading of 82° true. The wreckage path was approximately 80 ft long and was along a heading of 38° true. The airframe sustained impact damage with the most damage occurring to the wings and the forward fuselage. Both wings had separated from the fuselage, and portions of both wings were located along the wreckage path. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage and displayed impact damage signatures with most of the damage occurring to the horizontalstabilizer and the elevator. All the major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The wreckage was retained for further examination. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N58156](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N58156), registered now, S/N 24-1582, built 1986 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J - Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 SER A&C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (registry code 41511, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-1582 - Year built: 1986 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Departed: 0W3, Churchville, MD - Destination: ALB, Albany, NY ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 280° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: ALB, 30 nm away - METAR: KALB 242306Z 28012KT 10SM FEW022 SCT027 OVC060 04/01 A2989 RMK AO2 RAE01 P0000 T00440006 $ ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20241124021829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241124021829A), Nov 24, 2024: Mooney M20J, East Windham, NY, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. On 24 November 2024, a Mooney M20J was operated from hartford county airport to albany new york for the purpose of transporting 3 rescue dogs. The aircraft was… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.