Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Norwood Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Canton, Massachusetts 02021
Monday, June 4, 2007 10:11 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot had owned the airplane and flew it in actual instrument meteorological conditions for many years. The pilot successfully flew a localizer approach, and descended through a cloud layer into visual conditions about 500 feet above ground level. She was in radio contact with air traffic control when the airplane pitched up, then down, and descended rapidly into swampy terrain. During an approximately 45-day period prior to the accident flight, the pilot had experienced problems with the manual and electric pitch trim sticking or exhibiting stiffness when she attempted to move the trim toward the nose up position. The problem was addressed twice by a maintenance repair facility at the pilot's home airport, and once by an avionics repair facility; however, the pilot continued to report problems of trim stiffness. The pilot's husband, who was also a certificated pilot, did not notice any trim problems on a recent long cross-country flight. An examination of the wreckage, including the pitch trim system, did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. While the aft pitch trim jackscrew required slightly more force to turn toward the nose up position, verses the nose down position, the aft pitch trim jackscrew moved freely by hand in both directions. In addition, fresh grease was observed on both the forward and aft pitch trim jackscrews. The flaps were found fully extended, and the pitch trim was found in a nose up position, consistent with a normal approach and landing descent.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1011 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Canton |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02021 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 421030N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0710952W |
| Event Location Airport | Norwood Memorial Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OWD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 49 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OWD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 49 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 23082 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 4 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2008 3:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Boston, MA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4126H |
| NTSB Number | NYC07FA130 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-0769 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2740 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 2206 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Agnes E. Imregh |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Dover |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02030 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | N40 |
| Departure City | Pittstown |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OWD |
| Destination City | Norwood |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker to threshold (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 9 2008 5:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coxp |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 4008 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |