IAD96LA129

The pilot reported that he was sightseeing, looking for a resort area to land. He stated that his flight was uneventful, until he initiated a climb between two mountain ranges, then he heard the stall warning horn sound. He stated that he was close to the ground, so he did not look inside the cockpit. He stated that when he added full power, the engine sounded normal, but the stall warning horn sounded a second and a third time. Also, he stated that he made a controlled stall-type landing onto the tree tops. According to an FAA safety inspector, the pilot reported that he could not see the ridge clearly due to haze. The accident site was at an approximate elevation of 2900 feet. The height of the mountain was about 3300 feet.

On August 7, 1996, at 1330 eastern daylight time (EDT), an Aerofab, Inc., Lake 250, N8428F, crashed in mountainous terrain 10 miles south of Saranac Lake, in Adirondack, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and the one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Burlington, Vermont, at 1130 EDT. The intended destination was Saranac Lake, in Adirondack, New York.

According to the pilot, he was sightseeing, looking for a resort area. He stated that he circled looking for a landing area, but decided not to land at that lake. He stated that he initiated a climb between two mountain ranges, but,"...I became uncomfortable with my choice of which mountain pass to traverse...at this point everything started to go awry. Although the sound of the engine remained essentially unchanged, it became difficult for me to continue a climb...I was rapidly losing my clearance above the tree tops...I was close enough to the ground that I didn't dare take my eyes and attention into the cockpit. At this point the yoke began to feel mushy, and I advanced the engine and propeller controls. The stall warning horn sounded once...The engine and propeller noise still sounded normal, but the stall warning horn sounded a second time and a third time...I had to make a controlled stall-type landing onto the tree tops... ."

According to a Federal Aviation Administration Safety Inspector, the pilot reported that he could not see the ridge clearly due to the haze. The FAA Safety Inspector reported that the accident site was at an approximate elevation of 2900 feet. The height of the mountain was 3300 feet.