Mooney M20F accident near Cape Charles, VA
On January 7, 1996, a Mooney M20F (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cape Charles, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 7, 1996
- Place
- Cape Charles, VA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.269°N, 76.011°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X05150
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 6, 1996, at 1910 eastern standard time, N9199V, a Mooney M20F, disappeared from radar/radio contact while over the Chesapeake Bay on a flight from Gaithersburg, Maryland, to Fayetteville, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, no flight plan was filed. The personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The exact departure time is unknown. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the airplane was operating in visual meteorological conditions at 3500 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL), and the pilot was receiving Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight following services. The FAA also reported that the pilot was advised that VFR flight was not recommended, due to an approaching winter storm. The pilot contacted Norfolk Approach Control, and reported that he was north of Norfolk International Airport proceeding southbound. The pilot requested permission to enter Norfolk's airspace and fly along the coast, in an attempt to stay out of the weather. He stated that he was unsure whether he would be able to reach his intended destination of Fayetteville, since the weather was deteriorating. He indicated that he intended to continue flight along the coast for a couple of hours, and land at a coastal city if the winter storm made it necessary. Radar data for the accident airplane was obtained from the FAA, and a radar study was conducted at the NTSB headquarters, in Washington, DC. Radar data provided the predicted range, predict
Probable cause
The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision making by continuing flight into known adverse weather conditions. Related factors were the dark night and the winter storm (snow and fog).
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
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Browse: Virginia · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
