Acra Point Plane Crash - Where?

[Aesop74]

Hi everybody,

I used the serach feature to try to find out more information before posting, I also used Google.

I have heard about a plane crash near Acra Point off the Escarpment and I am wonderin gif anyone knows approximately where to leave the trail to find it. I am doing some backpacking next week in the Blackhead Range and over to Windham High Peak was thinking about checking it out. Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Jay H]

From my knowleddge, there isn't a plane crash on Acra Point but Stoeppel Point (I hope I spelled that right). You should be able to get a bunch of info from Google on that but if not, you can check out Charlie Hayden's website which has a bunch of info on various crashes in the catskills:

http://www.chayden.net/Catskills/Notes/AircraftCrashes.html

Jay

 

[Aesop74]

Crash Location

I found what I though to be a picture of the Acra Point crash online and asked the person who posted it some information regarding it's wherabouts. Here is their answer........

"Yours is an interesting question … we didn’t actually see the body of the aircraft but we stumbled into parts …

Take a look at our “Follow the Trip” webpage … http://hikingmates.net/Blackhead_Range_Hike.htm

… scroll down to where you get to the Acra Point dome. After you get to the summit there is a long gradually descending flat part. You will see a dome of the aircraft to the left, up a ways, and parts to the right. I recall that to the right the hillside dropped off sharply, preventing us from looking further. Intuition suggested the plains crashed to the left on the “Escarpment side,” but I think that would require us going far off the trail. I’m copying a couple of the guys that accompanied me that day; maybe they recall seeing other items, as I remember we took a small break right around there."

 

[Jay H]

I'll check that out...

It could posssibly be on the west side too though, acra point has some nice viewpoints facing colgate lake too... I ate lunch there this past weekend when backpacking the escarpment trail.

Jay

 

[Aesop74]

Me Too

Maybe I will stumble into what is described above when I am there 7/1. I am heading out Saturday morning from Southeast PA with my fiancee' for a couple of days in the Catskils. I am leaving from Big Hollow Road on Monday and heading up Blackhead, Acra Point, Burnt Knob and Windham High Peak on the loop. Overnighting somewhere near the low point between Burnt Knob and Windham High Peak. Returning on Tuesday.

This might be the Stoppel Point crash afterall.

I have heard of the crash on Acra Point for a number of years. I wonder if this is the Cairo crash or another crash, or not one at all. Information is contradictive when I research the recorded details. All I can find is a location labeled Acra Point in the records.

I should post the information. Give me a minute.

 

[Aesop74]

Crash Data

Acra. Acra Point, Burnt Knob or (possibly) Windham High Peak
NTSB: NYC83FA192 date: 7/24/1983 reg#: N2617A BEECH V-35-A

I am relying on someone elses research for this information. Can anyone confirm this flight?

 

[imarchant]

Maybe I will stumble into what is described above when I am there 7/1. I am heading out Saturday morning from Southeast PA with my fiancee' for a couple of days in the Catskils. I am leaving from Big Hollow Road on Monday and heading up Blackhead, Acra Point, Burnt Knob and Windham High Peak on the loop. Overnighting somewhere near the low point between Burnt Knob and Windham High Peak. Returning on Tuesday.

This might be the Stoppel Point crash afterall.

I have heard of the crash on Acra Point for a number of years. I wonder if this is the Cairo crash or another crash, or not one at all. Information is contradictive when I research the recorded details. All I can find is a location labeled Acra Point in the records.

I should post the information. Give me a minute.

This is not the stopple point crash.
The stopple point crash NTSB report #: NYC83FA125
Date: 5/26/1983
Plane reg #: N1316T
Plane type: PIPER, PA-28-140
Elevation: 3,420
COORDINATES: N42 13.548, W74 3.872

I don't have any more information on the Acra crash other than already in this thread or in the NTSB report

 

[Aesop74]

More Detail

Here is the full detail from the report......

NTSB Identification: NYC83FA192 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 22128.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 24, 1983 in ACRA, NY
Aircraft: BEECH V35A, registration: N2617A
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR VMC EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT. WHILE INBOUND TO ALBANY HE SAID HE WAS CIRCLING DOWN FROM 4000 FEET IN A VFR SPOT TO GET UNDER THE CLOUDS. HE SUBSEQUENTLY CANCELLED HIS IFR FLT PLAN AND SAID HE WAS GOING TO FLY TO GREAT BARRINGTON, LOCATED EAST OF HIS LAST KNOWN POSITION. THE ACFT CRASHED WEST OF HIS LAST KNOWN POSITION. WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS SUCH THAT THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS WERE OBSCURED.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

BECAME LOST/DISORIENTED..INADVERTENT..PILOT IN COMMAND
VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC..INITIATED..PILOT IN COMMAND



Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..LOW CEILING
WEATHER CONDITION..LOW CEILING
TERRAIN CONDITION..MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY
JUDGMENT..POOR..PILOT IN COMMAND

 

[Aesop74]

Acra Point Recap

I did not see any eveidence of the 1983 plane crash on 7/1 though everything was so overgrown. The trail coming down from Acra Point towards Burnt Knob has a random herd path on the right hand side after the ledges that look across to Blackhead. I am wondering if this herd path leads to something, but when i took the trail it ended about 15' off the Escaprment in a nettle patch.

Oh well.

 

[markmtn]

Canopy cover on High Windham Pk

Saw it next to trail on Excarpment Trail near summit.
Looks like a glider part.
About 3 weeks ago.

 

[Jay H]

The glider crash on the southerly viewpoint on Windham HP was from last year, you could see more of it last winter but now, being overgrown, bits of the cockpit glass and some of the panels are scattered about, also showing signs of porcupine activity.

Jay