- Date
- November 14, 1987, 15:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Danby, VT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N252ZFMooney M20K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871114064819A
- Case key
- 35990
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 pilot was on a VFR cross country flight when the aircraft descended rapidly and collided with trees. Several witnesses reported hearing extensive engine surges. Witnesses reported seeing the acft maneuvering in a highly erratic manner, then begin a nose dive followed by acft rotation. All the witnesses stated that they heard the acft's engine surge to a high setting just prior to impact. The acft was heading west when it impacted in a 40 degree nose down attitude and a 45 degree right bank. The acft debris were scattered throughout a 100 by 200 foot area of the densely forrested, hard ground. The area forecast included mountain obscurations, moderate rime or mixed icing, and turbulence with visibilities between 3 to 5 miles. The local weather was as forecast according to local witnesses and by airline employees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N252ZF
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-1106
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-MB1, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dirk Kuzmier
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 18, 1987 · 74 hours before
- Departed
- MTO · East Hampton, NY
- Destination
- RUT · Rutland, VT
- 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RUT, 12 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.