Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oconto Falls, Wisconsin 54154
Friday, July 3, 1992 12:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE 69-YEAR-OLD PILOT WERE VISITING AT HIS COTTAGE OVER THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY. THE PILOT'S STATED INTENTION WAS TO FLY HIS AIRPLANE TO PICK UP HIS GIRLFRIEND. THE FRIENDS REPORTED THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLY 'LOW OVER THE BACK YARD IT STARTED GOING UP...AGAIN AFTER HE GOT OUT OF SIGHT...WE ALL HEARD LOUD BANGING, CRACKLING NOISES...' THE FRIENDS/RELATIVES REPORTED THE PILOT HAD MADE LOW PASSES OVER THE COTTAGE ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, BUT HE SEEMED LOWER THAN USUAL ON THIS PASS. THEY STATED: 'WE THOUGHT HE WAS PLAYING A JOKE ON US POSSIBLY WITH FIRE CRACKERS...' DAMAGE TO TREES AND WRECKAGE DEBRIS REVEALED THE AIRPLANES RIGHT WING IMPACTED A TREE ABOUT 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH THE TREES, COMING TO REST INVERTED. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS DURING A LOW PASS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/3/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | OCONTO FALLS |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54154 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | 1150 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GRB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 695 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2531 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 3 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N231FW |
| NTSB Number | CHI92FA195 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20K |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25-0228 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 23 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 1525 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BALDWIN, MARK |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9424 GRAY LAKE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | OCONTO FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 54154 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BALDWIN, MARK |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 9424 GRAY LAKE ROAD |
| Operator City | OCONTO FALLS |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 54154 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OCQ |
| Departure City | OCONTO |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SUE |
| Destination City | STURGEON BAY |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |