Mooney M20F N9199V

Summary

On 7 January 1996 at about 00:10 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N9199V was involved in an accident near Cape Charles, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 January 1996 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cape Charles, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.2693, -76.0108

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N9199V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gaithersburg → Fayetteville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD96LA109

1 person died.

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).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was advised that VFR flight was not recommended. He contacted Norfolk Approach Control and requested permission to transition through their airspace. He indicated that he intended to fly south along the coast in an attempt to avoid the approaching winter storm. The airplane disappeared from radar/radio contact while over the Chesapeake Bay. Radar data revealed that the airplane was in a descending right turn from 2100 feet MSL until it disappeared from radar contact at 800 feet MSL. Search efforts located airplane parts along the beach, and located the main wreckage in the Chesapeake Bay. The wreckage has not been fully recovered. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating. It was a dark night with snow and fog.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.