5/3/14 Stoppel Point Second Plane Crash Site (Catkills)

[Rivet]

Went on a mission to find the second plane crash site near Stoppel Point. I found only a vague description of the location on the Internet:

Information from Daniel Ginsburg:
There is another crash near Stoppel Point. This one claimed 6 lives and occurred on December 15th, 1989. A Piper Navajo (aircraft registration # N45CH), piloted by Timothy Burns was headed from Glens Falls to Montgomery, NY, heading down the Hudson, when he hit the front edge of the first big snowstorm of the season encountering blizzard conditions (just after dark) and continuing VFR flight while veering too close to the west and slamming into the northeast side of Stoppel Point at 2800 feet. The crash is accessible from below via Winter Clove, but is a very strenuous climb around boulders and very steep cliffs of the escarpment. It is one of the most difficult bushwhacks I have ever undertaken. I visited and photographed this site in May of 1994.
Although I attempted originally to reach the crash site from above from both ends of Stoppel Point, this proved too treacherous. I returned and eventually found a better way up via Winter Clove (northeast of Stoppel Point). I followed the stream up past the waterfall and then traversed to the north at about 2,800 feet after spending much time getting around boulders and cliffs on terrain at a 45 degree incline. The recovery operation must have been amazing (I was told by rangers years ago that a team of state troopers and DEC rangers went in after this (fatal) major snowstorm to recover all 6 bodies from the wreckage, and they had to winter camp overnight after roping down from above).

From William Gerhauser:
Tim and I went to high school together in Hamilton twp. NJ (Trenton). And remained friends after. We went flying quite often. Me mostly just for the ride. I knew him to be a very accomplished pilot, but the crash was ruled pilot error because of his decision to fly that evening. I read the initial NTSB report and had a few other friends who flew with him from time to time. One of the big deals with the crash was that the FAA/NTSB, I believe, ruled that the flight was regarded as an illegal charter flight. I remember his father now deceased saying that they pretty much flew into the mountain at full speed.

This is from the accident report:

Date: 15-DEC-1989
Time: 1738
Type: Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
Owner/operator: Aero-Venture
Registration: N45CH
C/n / msn: 31-7852002
Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Cairo Township , NY - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Executive
Departure airport: Glens Falls, NY (GFL)
Destination airport: Montgomery, NY (MGJ)
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 2500 FEET MSL 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 3400 FOOT MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 2500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE WAS MISSING 4 DAYS AND WAS FOUND BY THE CREW OF A NY STATE POLICE HELICOPTER. 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.

So, I knew the plane was at (or around) elevation 2800 feet, and on the northeast side of Stoppel Point ... turns out it was a bit south of east, but the elevation was correct. The safest route would be starting from below. I parked at the end of Storks Nest Road and headed up the yellow marked Dutcher Notch trail. After about a mile, as the trail turned right, I left the trail and headed south. Eventually I reached the Countryman Kill and picked up a logging road which I followed for a bit. I kept climbing up to the northern ridge of Stoppel Point. Then, I traversed the hillside at around 2800-2900 ft elevation. It was slow going at this point as the footing was tricky, but there were no terrible ledges or anything. I continued for about 1/2 mile. Then, luckily, something caught my eye ahead of me and down below about 30 yards. It looked blueish and not natural .... maybe it's a wing. I dropped down to investigate, and sure enough I had found the crash site. There was debris scattered in a small area along the steep hillside. I took a break and then headed down by following the drainage which eventually becomes Kiskatom Brook. After a while, I picked up the Winter Clove trail that I followed down to the covered bridge (Artist Falls). Then, I headed over to the Yankee Smith trail which brought me back to the Countryman Kill. I checked out a few waterfalls before finding my way back to the Dutcher Notch Trail, and then finally my car. Bugs were around in the morning, but didn't become too annoying until the afternoon (and not truly terrible). Luckily, the rain held off during the entire trek.

click here for pictures

reference also this old thread on airplane wrecks

 

[Rivet]

This is one news article:

PLANE, BODIES FOUND IN NORTHERN CATSKILLS Kenneth C. Crowe II Staff writer Section: LOCAL, Page: B1 Date: Wednesday, December 20, 1989
The wreckage of a twin-engine airplane containing the bodies of two of its six passengers was found on a remote ridge in the Catskills Tuesday afternoon by a State Police helicopter on the fourth day of a search.
The downed airplane was spotted at 2:15 p.m. between Stopple Point and North Mountain in this Greene County town's Black Head Mountain range, State Police at Catskill said. There were no survivors, they said. Members of a U.S. Air Force rescue team from the state Air National Guard in Westhampton, Suffolk County, were dropped about a quarter-mile away from the crash site and hiked through an area of icy, snow-covered ledges to the Piper Navajo, troopers said.
State Police and volunteers looked up from the nearest road, about four miles to the north in Round Top, a hamlet in the town of Cairo, while helicopters hovered over the ridge, which is 2,700 feet to 3,250 feet high. It is not far from the Catskill Game Farm in the town of Catskill.
At about 4:32 p.m., the rescue team identified the airplane as the missing craft owned by Aero Venture Inc. of New Jersey and confirmed that they had discovered two bodies, according to radio transmissions. They removed construction documents from the smashed, tan airplane, whose blue tail was jutting out of the snow.
Troopers said the documents were used to confirm the identity of the aircraft. The names of the five passengers and the pilot have not yet been released by State Police.
However, Wehran Engineering of Middletown, which employs two of the passengers, identified them as Salvatore Arlotta of Middletown and Peter Lovi of Pine Bush, Orange County.
The Associated Press reported that Dick Mann, a spokesman for Briar Contracting, a company owned by one of the passengers, identified those aboard as:
*Ronald D. Pacchiana, 56, of Pound Ridge, Westchester County, president of Briar Contracting and owner of Unicorn Industries Ltd., both in Peekskill, Westchester County.
*Michael J. Trainor, 45, of New City, Rockland County, an attorney with Bleakley Platt & Schmidt of White Plains, Westchester County.
*The pilot, Timothy Burns, 27, of Allentown, N.J.
*Timothy P. Burns, 44, of Yonkers. He is not related to the pilot, Mann said.
A team of troopers led by local residents familar with the mountains are to head to the crash location this morning.
The troopers will retrieve the two bodies and search for the other four.
"You just don't go in at this hour of the day," Zone Sgt. B.S. O'Connor said Tuesday in Round Top. "We'll get in tomorrow unless the weather socks us in."
At least an inch of snow was expected to fall on the crash site overnight.
"It's all ledges up there. Icy covered with snow," said Jon Powell, 35, of Round Top, who grew up hunting in the Black Head Mountains and will guide the troopers.
Powell said it would take about two hours to climb down the top of the mountains to reach the crashed airplane. He described the area through which they would pass as having a line of ledges like a series of steep steps. He said it could take as long as five hours to carry the bodies out.
The hunt for the crashed airplane began Saturday after residents reported hearing the roar of an aircraft Friday evening. The search was hampered by blowing snow, which cut visibility.
The airplane was en route Friday from the Warren County Airport, about 50 miles north of Albany, to the Orange County Airport. It was last heard from between 5:30 and 6 p.m. about 30 miles south of the Albany County.

This is from another news article:

Windham Journal - issue of Thursday, December 21, 1989, page 1
Downed plane found in Jewett, bodies recovered
A two engine Piper Navajo plane missing for four days was found Tuesday, December 19, at 2:15 p.m. by a New York state helicopter assigned to the lost plane search in Greene county. The wreckage was spotted by the helicopter on the Black Head Mountain in East Jewett. Due to the rugged terrain of the area it was impossible to get to the location other than with a person being dropped by helicopter as close as possible to the scene.
U.S. Air Force Rescue Team member from the 106 Air Station Guard in Westhampton went to the scene and determined that it was the plane, but that it did not appear to be any sign of life.
On Wednesday morning, as the W.J. is going to press, recovery details are recovering the bodies of the pilot and the five passengers who after attending a business meeting in Glens Falls last Friday were on their way to Montgomery.
The pilot was Timothy Burns, 27, Allentown, N.J.; the five passengers were Salvatore Arlotta, Jr., 42, Wallkill; Peter Lovi, 33, Pine Bush, both employees of the Wehran Engineering environmental consulting firm in Middletown; Ronald D. Pacchiana, 56, Pound Ridge, president of Briar Contracting and owner of Unicorn Industries, Ltd., both in Peekskill; Attorney Michael J. Trainor, 45, New York City and Timothy P. Burns, 44, Yonkers.
Their plane disappeared from radar screens Friday evening about 30 miles south of Albany, it was reported. Radar put the plane at an altitude of 2,300 feet when it disappeared. Blackhead Mountain, Black Dome and Thomas Cole mountains are more than 3,900 ft high. The area in East Jewett/Maplecrest had received about 8 inches of snow since Friday.
More than 20 aircraft searched a 5,000 square mile area in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley on Tuesday.

 

[Rob S]

That is awesome, Rivet! GREAT job!!

Coincidentally, just last weekend, when I climbed West Stoppel and Stoppel Point, I met a couple of young guys from the town of Roundtop that had been looking (unsuccessfully) for that plane. I don't know their exact search location, but they mentioned coming up the trail from Winter Clove and then bushwhacking up to the lookout itself. Nice job in finding it. And nice pics too!