# NTSB NYC87FA063: Mooney M20C, N3496X, Highgate, VT, January 20, 1987

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: January 20, 1987, 18:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place: Highgate, VT
- Location: 44.9656° N, 73.0564° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Town of Highgate, VT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9656&lon=-73.0564&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Status: Completed, report January 11, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 30483
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC87FA063
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30483/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC87FA063

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal
  - weather condition - snow (contributing factor)
  - performed
- In flight collision with object, go-around (vfr)
  - light condition - night (contributing factor)
  - aborted landing - delayed, pilot in command (cause)
  - gear retraction - not performed, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - object - tree(s) (contributing factor)
  - proper climb rate - not attained, pilot in command (cause)
  - lack of total experience in kind of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVING PAX, A SNOWSHOWER WAS ENCTRD, SO THE PLT REVERSED COURSE & DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT. DRG A NGT APCH TO LND, THE PAX NOTED A WHITE LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. (A VASI LIGHT SYS WAS INSTALLED FOR THAT RWY.)  THE PLT ABORTED THE LNDG, BUT DRG A GO-AROUND, THE ACFT STRUCK TREETOPS APRX 1500' BEYOND THE DEP END OF THE RWY & CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUCTION WAS EVIDENT. THE LNDG GEAR & GEAR HANDLE WERE FND IN THE DOWN PSN, THE FLAPS WERE IN A RETRACTED PSN & THE ENG CTLS WERE FND AT FULL POWER SETTINGS. ONLY 3.4 HRS OF THE PLT'S FLT TIME WAS RPRTD IN HI PERFORMANCE OR COMPLEX ACFT & NO ENDORSEMENT TO OPERATE SUCH ACFT WAS FND.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N3496X](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3496X-1988-04-12), registration cancelled 1988-04-12, S/N 3427 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Registry model: [Mooney M20C](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (registry code 5870208) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 3427
- Airframe hours: 3200
- Engines: LYCOMING O-360 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Abbas Ahmadirmabadi
- Registered owner: Douglas P. Combs
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 1986, 30 hours before
- Departed: MPV, MONTPELIER, VT
- Destination: MONTREAL,CANADA, OF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: 1B7, Franklin County, runway 1, 3,000 × 60 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 26; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 141 total, 71 as pilot in command, 67 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/bright
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 19 °F, dew point -0 °F

## 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 19870120000859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870120000859A), Jan 20, 1987: Mooney M20C, Highgate, VT, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Approach too high. Attempted a go around. Struck trees and impacted the ground. No endorsement for the complex M2OC.

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.

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