- Date
- August 7, 1987, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mclean, NY
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3457XMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 17, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870807043129A
- Case key
- 30708
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The aircraft had flown for about 1-1/2 hours when the pilot began a descent from 12000 feet for an approach. However at 3500 feet, the engine suddenly went from normal cruise to idle. An emergency landing was made in a corn field and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Upon examination of the aircraft and engine no malfunction or mechanical failure could be found. The engine was successfully run after the accident. The pilot stated that he was too busy looking for a place to land to notice the engine control positions or indications.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3457X
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L-419-36A
- Airframe hours
- 2,438
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter G. Lindblad
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 16, 1987 · 2,402 hours before
- Departed
- Rangley, ME
- Destination
- Jamestown, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 333 total · 333 in this make and model · 237 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.