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| Date: | Friday 2 December 2022 |
| Time: | 15:04 |
| Type: |  Mooney M20J 201 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3515H |
| MSN: | 24-1034 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2774 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Falmouth Airpark (5B6), Falmouth, MA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Westfield-Barnes Airport, MA (BAF/KBAF) |
| Falmouth Airpark, MA (5B6) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On December 2, 2022, about 1504 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20J, N3515H, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at Falmouth Airpark (5B6), Falmouth, Massachusetts. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the pilot-rated passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot-rated passenger described the sun as “blinding” during the landing approach, but stated that she and the pilot were uncomfortable landing on the other runway due to the wind conditions. While on final approach, the passenger adjusted the pilot’s sun visor, then looked down to confirm that the airplane was properly configured for landing. When she looked up, she knew that the airplane was going to impact trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted 75-ft-tall trees about 300 ft from the end of the runway, then subsequently impacted terrain. The passenger reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Review of published airport information revealed that trees were listed as an obstruction for both runways.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the sun glare, which impaired the pilot's visibility and situational awareness.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/plane-crash-reported-in-falmouth/2910194/
https://www.wcvb.com/article/falmouth-massachusetts-small-plane-crash-airpak/42137081#
https://www.capecod.com/cape-wide-news/bulletin-falmouth-officials-responding-to-reported-plane-crash-at-falmouth-airport/
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/police-identify-83-year-old-pilot-killed-small-falmouth-plane-crash/LFI4DHPPPVACBBM6AEMXE5SWF4/
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106405
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=3515H
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a3eb93&lat=41.625&lon=-70.656&zoom=11.0&showTrace=2022-12-02&leg=2
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N3515H
https://photos-e1.flightcdn.com/photos/retriever/4419c580e31bb3e705a780fd5d6acec03020785b (photo)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 10 November 1984 | N3515H | 907th Flight Squadron, Inc. | 0 | Marlboro, NJ | |
sub |
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2024 11:28 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Source, Damage, Narrative, Accident report, Photo, ] |
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