Date:	Friday 15 December 1989
Time:	17:38
Type:	Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
Owner/operator:	Aero-Venture Inc
Registration:	N45CH
MSN:	31-7852002
Total airframe hrs:	2500 hours
Engine model:	LYCOMING TSIO-540-J2BD
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	NE of Stoppel Point, Black Head Mountain, East Jewett, New York -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Executive
Departure airport:	Warren County Airport, Glens Falls, NY (GFL/KGFL)
Destination airport:	Orange County Airport, Montgomery, NY (MGJ/KMGJ)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DURING A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS TOLD BY THE AFSS SPECIALIST THAT MARGINAL VFR AND IFR CONDIITONS WOULD PREVAIL ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST DEPICTED ON RADAR AT 2,500 FEET AMSL AND HEADING TOWARDS HIGH TERRAIN.

A NY STATE TROOPER LEAVING HIS OFFICE ABOUT THE TIME THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED STATED SNOW WAS FALLING VERY HARD AND VISIBILITY WAS LOW. THE STATE TROOPER'S OFFICE WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM THE CRASH SITE. THE AIRPLANE HIT A 3,400 FOOT MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 2,500 FEET AMSL. THE AIRPLANE WAS MISSING FOR 4 DAYS AND WAS FOUND BY THE CREW OF A NEW YORK STATE POLICE HELICOPTER NEAR 42'25" N, 73'98"33 W.

CAUSE: THE PILOT'S DECISION TO FLY INTO THE KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND HIS FAILURE TO SELECT AN ALTITUDE THAT WOULD PROVIDE TERRAIN CLEARANCE.

FACTORS WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND THE PILOT'S DISREGARD FOR THE FORECASTED CONDITIONS. REGISTRATION N45CH CANCELLED BY THE FAA ON OCTOBER 26, 1992 AS "DESTROYED". (NOTE: The official NTSB report gives the crash location as "Cairo Township, NY" (sic))

1. NTSB Identification: NYC90FA039 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001213X30004&key=1
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=45CH
3. http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/forums/phpBB-3.0.5/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=887
4. 16 Photos of wreckage: https://plus.google.com/photos/110179653839607320851/albums/6009331728353343745?banner=pwa
5. Windham Journal - issue of Thursday, December 21, 1989, page 1:
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1989/archives/crash-of-a-piper-pa-31-navajo-chieftain-in-new-york-6-killed/]
7. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/ny/N45CH/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Oct-2008 10:30	ASN archive	Added
18-Jun-2015 22:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:23	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
09-Oct-2017 18:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative]