Mooney M20C accident near Atkins, VA
On March 16, 2008, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Atkins, VA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 16, 2008
- Place
- Atkins, VA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.933°N, 81.382°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080321X00348
Official records · NYC08FA139
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Excerpts, Flight Service Station Accident Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 16, 2008, at 1034 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20C, Canadian registration C-FRSK, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in the Jefferson National Forest, near Atkins, Virginia. The Canadian-certificated private pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the site; however, initiation of the event likely occurred in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan from Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, West Virginia, to Craig Municipal Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to information contained in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control accident package, the airplane departed Yeager Airport about 0950, and the pilot contacted Indianapolis Center at 1007. At 1011, the pilot was cleared to 7,000 feet, and reported level at that altitude at 1014. At 1022, the pilot requested a lower altitude due to icing, and the controller cleared him to 6,200 feet, stating, "that's as low as I can go." About 1024, the pilot advised the controller that the airplane was at 6,200 feet, and the controller directed the pilot to contact Atlanta Center and maintain that altitude, which the pilot acknowledged. About 1026, the pilot advised Atlanta Center, "we're picking up quite a bit of ice, any way we can get out of it?" The controller responded that the lowest IFR altitude was 6,200 feet and that he did not see any precipitat
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to take off in conditions conducive to icing, and his inability to maintain control of the airplane during an in-flight accumulation of structural ice.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
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.
