Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Morrisville, Vermont 05661
Wednesday, May 20, 1992 21:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT OVER THREE MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST TAKEOFF FROM THIS AIRPORT, HAVING FLOWN THERE EARLIER THAT DAY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE USED 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF, AND THEN CLIMBED AT 60 KNOTS. HE SAID DURING THE DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRPORT,'THE SURROUNDINGS GOT DARKER AND DARKER.' AS HE CLIMBED THROUGH 1000 FEET MSL HE GRADUALLY RAISED THE FLAPS AND INCREASED SPEED TO 80 KNOTS. HE CLIMBED NORTH, DIRECT TO THE MONTPIELER VOR. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS 'AMAZED HOW DARK IT WAS, BARELY ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE HORIZON.' HE THEN SAW TREES AHEAD IN THE PATH OF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH HE UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TO AVOID BY PULLING BACK ON THE CONTROL WHEEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED JUST AS THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES. THE AIRPLANE FELL TO THE GROUND AND A FIRE ERUPTED AFTER THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A DARK NIGHT AND THE LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/20/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2150 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MORRISVILLE |
| Event State | VERMONT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 05661 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2150 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 86 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BTV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 732 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1966 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 21 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46706 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2950K |
| NTSB Number | BFO92LA070 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7916574 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 21 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 4908 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BEVERLY FLIGHT CENTER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX349 |
| Aircraft Owner City | DANVERS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01923 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BEVERLY FLIGHT CENTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 349 |
| Operator City | DANVERS |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 01923 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2145 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BVY |
| Destination City | BEVERLY |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |