Mooney M20J accident near Cottage Grove, MN
On January 21, 1997, a Mooney M20J (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cottage Grove, MN. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 21, 1997
- Place
- Cottage Grove, MN
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.811°N, 92.919°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07262
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 21, 1997, at 1350 central standard time (cst), a Mooney M20J, N1160G, was destroyed when the aircraft collided with snow covered terrain near Cottage Grove, Minnesota, during an ILS runway 32 approach, to the St. Paul Downtown Holman Field Airport. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured in the accident. The pilot had planned to fly to Cambridge, Minnesota, but requested a diversion into Holman Field, due to weather. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating on an IFR flight plan, and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The weather at St. Paul Downtown Holman Field Airport at 1353 cst was reported as wind 150 degrees at 13 knots, visibility 1.5 miles with light rain. The ceiling was reported as 500 feet overcast, the temperature was 3, the dewpoint was 0. The altimeter was 29.52. AIDS TO NAVIGATION The airplane received radar vectors for an ILS to runway 32. Between the time of 1316 cst and 2043 cst five other aircraft executed the ILS to runway 32, at the St. Paul Downtown Holman Field Airport. None of these aircraft reported any problems with any of the navigational equipment for the approach. At 1316 cst the pilot executing the ILS 32 approach reported that he broke out at 1,250 feet mean sea level. The decision height for a full ILS 32 approach is 954 feet. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane wreckage path followed a magnetic heading of approximately 330 degrees. The distance from the right wing tip which was the first piece found in the wreckage path, to
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during an ILS approach. Factors relating to the accident were: the IFR weather conditions, the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience, and the pilot's lack of familiarity in flying the accident aircraft.
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Browse: Minnesota · 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.
