NTSB Factual Report

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, predicted azimuth, and altitude of the airplane down to 800 feet MSL. The last 10 minutes and 32 seconds of tracking radar data shows the airplane descending in a right turn from 2100 feet MSL to 800 feet MSL. A copy of the Radar Study is attached to this report.

Search efforts located some airplane parts including a nosewheel, a right main landing gear, an aircraft seat, and pieces of aircraft skin on the beach in the vicinity of Cape Charles, Virginia.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single engine land privileges. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating. The pilot also held a valid third class medical certificate, with no restrictions or limitations, dated February 7, 1994. According to FAA medical records, the pilot reported a total flight time of 700 hours on the medical application.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Mooney M20F airplane, serial number 690052, was equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-A1A. The log books have not been located.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

The 1850 EST surface weather observation for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia, (located about 25 miles south of the location of the airplane parts) reported:

Sky condition, 2,000 feet scattered, ceiling 4,000 feet overcast; visibility, 3 miles in snow; temperature, 26 degrees Fahrenheit (F); dew point, 21 degrees F; winds out 060 degrees, at 9 knots; and altimeter setting, 30.37 inches Hg.

MEDICAL/PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Autopsy and toxicological examinations were not performed, due to insufficient specimens. However, a positive identification of the pilot was possible, based on the available evidence. Available specimens were examined at the State Medical Examiner's office, in Norfolk, Virginia.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The wreckage was located in the Chesapeake Bay, in the vicinity of Cape Charles, Virginia. Several pieces of wreckage were located along the shore, but the airplane has not been fully recovered. The insurance representative is Jim Brewer, of In-flite Aviation in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NTSB 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).