Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Danby, Vermont 05739
Saturday, November 14, 1987 15:40 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/14/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1540
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City DANBY
Event State VERMONT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 05739
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 11
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1449 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 25
Weather Observation Facility ID RUT
Elevation of weather observation facility 787
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2639
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 14 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1820
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38255
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:00PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N252ZF
NTSB Number NYC88FA042
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
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 25-1106
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Feb 18 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 74
Airframe Hours 74
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DIRK KUZMIER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3 THE COURT YARD
Aircraft Owner City HANOVER
Aircraft Owner State NH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 03755
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 MTO
Departure City EAST HAMPTON
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1430
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RUT
Destination City RUTLAND
Destination State VT
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --