At about 1854 eastern time, a Piper PA-32-300 crashed into terrain during cruise flight in Monterey. The pilot and three passengers were killed and three other passengers suffered serious injuries. The flight was bound IFR for Keene, N.H., when the pilot stated he did not like the weather near his destination. He canceled his IFR flight plan and requested VFR advisories to Westfield. About 10 minutes later, the airplanes radar track turned about 90 degrees to the left, apparently toward Great Barrington Airport. The airplane struck trees and terrain on the south-southeast side of Mt. Wilcox, approximately 7.5 miles east-northeast of GBR, at about 1,900 feet msl.
March 02, Monterey, Mass. / Piper Cherokee Six
At about 1854 eastern time, a Piper PA-32-300 crashed into terrain during cruise flight in Monterey. The pilot and three passengers were killed and three other passengers suffered serious injuries. The flight was bound IFR for Keene, N.H., when the pilot stated he did not like the weather near his destination. He canceled his IFR flight plan and requested VFR advisories to Westfield. About 10 minutes later, the airplanes radar track turned about 90 degrees to the left, apparently toward Great Barrington Airport. The airplane struck trees and terrain on the south-southeast side of Mt. Wilcox, approximately 7.5 miles east-northeast of GBR, at about 1,900 feet msl....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-32-300 crashed in Monterey during cruise flight, resulting in four fatalities (pilot and three passengers) and three serious injuries.
- The accident occurred after the pilot, who was flying IFR, canceled his flight plan due to perceived bad weather near his destination and requested VFR advisories to a different airport.
- Shortly after changing plans, the aircraft's radar track sharply deviated from its apparent course before crashing into terrain on Mt. Wilcox.
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