Pilot Killed In NY Mooney Accident
The pilot of a Mooney M20K departed New York's Greater
Binghamton Airport (BGM) Tuesday, despite weather conditions that
grounded commercial flights in the area, according to local media
reports.
The aircraft (similar to type shown below), bound for Albany,
crashed shortly after takeoff near Town of Maine, NY, killing the
pilot and sole person onboard.
The Greater Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports the last
departure from BGM occurred 57 minutes before the Mooney took off
just before 1700 local time.
Airport personnel had cancelled flights throughout the afternoon
due to poor weather at BGM and elsewhere, and fog had caused
problems for inbound flights throughout the day.
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer flew into BGM earlier in the day
to announce a economic program in Binghamton. Conditions at that
time were marginal -- "you couldn't see the runway until the plane
landed," according to spokeswoman Christine Pritchard. The governor
departed BGM at 1320 EST, and had to divert from his intended
destination in Oneonta due to weather.
At the time of the accident, reported visibility around BGM was
less than a quarter-mile, with the ceiling "obscure to 100 feet,"
according to the National Weather Service. Online flight tracking
website FlightAware.com does not list an IFR flight plan for the
accident aircraft.
"In the end, it's the pilot in command who makes the decision to
fly," Broome County Aviation Commissioner Carl Beardsley Jr.
said.
The pilot's name has not been released, pending notification of
next-of-kin.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#:
252DD Make/Model:
MO20 Description: M20,
M20A/B/C/D/E/F/G/J/L/R/S, M20K/M (T
Date: 11/20/2007 Time: 2155
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: BINGHAMTON State: NY Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES SHORTLY AFTER
DEPARTURE, THE
ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, WRECKAGE LOCATED 3
MILES FROM
BINGHAMTON, NY
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: 2153Z 28003KT M1/4FG W001 06/06 A3003
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: ROCHESTER, NY
(EA23)
Entry date: 11/21/2007