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

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.binghamtonairport.com/aviation/