What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness observed plane in a spin. Impacted water near vertical. No record spin training. Only 2HRS in type. (-23) the Mooney aircraft departed efd VFR approximately 1630 and proceeded south to the practice area. An eyewitness observed the aircraft spinning earthward. The aircraft impacted the water at a steep angle. The aircraft was destroyed and the sole occupant was fatally injured. NTSB is investigating. (.19) on November 1, 1996, at 1650 central standard time, a Mooney M20J, N25LS, registered to h and l air services, inc., of Houston, Texas , and operated by Ellington field aero club, inc., as a title 14 CFR part 91 flight, impacted the water during an uncontrolled descent near san leon, Texas. The private pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; however, frontal passage with a wind shift and gusts was occurring. A flight plan was not filed for the personal cross country flight. The flight originated from Houston, Texas, about 20 minutes before the accident. During personal interviews, c onducted by the investigator-in-charge and the FAA inspector, the following information was gleaned from local authorities, witnesses, and the operator. On October 15, 1996, the pilot received an aero club flight check in the airplane, and rented the airplane for 2 hours on November 1, 1996, for a flight to galveston, Texas. About 20 minutes before the accident, thunderstorms and rain associated with a frontal passage, moved through the dickinson bay area near san leon; however, the weather was reported clear with overcast skies estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 feet by the time of the accident. Two witnesses observed the airplane in level flight beneath the clouds, one witness observed the airplane descending and another witness reported observing the airplane circle toward the bay. One witness observed the airplane ina 3 to 4 turn spin before impacting the water and exploding with flames and black smoke erupting for 200 to 300 feet into the air. The fire continued to burn on the water for several minutes and numerous witnesses described the fire as the type associated with a pipeline rupture. Divers from the Texas department of transportation (dps) reported the airplane came to rest IN6 to 8 feet of water. The aft portion of the empennage protruded from the water, the engine remained attached to the firewall, and the right wing was attached at the fuselage. The left wing was found separated from the fuselage at the aft attachment point.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS OBSERVED PLANE IN A SPIN. IMPACTED WATER NEAR VERTICAL. NO RECORD SPIN TRAINING. ONLY 2HRS IN TYPE. (-23) THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT DEPARTED EFD VFR APPROXIMATELY 1630 AND PROCEEDED SOUTH TO THE PRACTICE AREA. AN EYEWITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT SPINNING EARTHWARD. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER AT A STEEP ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED. NTSB IS INVESTIGATING. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 1, 1996, AT 1650 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20J, N25LS, REGISTERED TO H AND L AIR SERVICES, INC., OF HOUSTON, TEXAS , AND OPERATED BY ELLINGTON FIELD AERO CLUB, INC., AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, IMPACTED THE WATER DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT NEAR SAN LEON, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED; HOWEVER, FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH A WIND SHIFT AND GUSTS WAS OCCURRING. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS, ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DURING PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, C ONDUCTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE AND THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS GLEANED FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES, WITNESSES, AND THE OPERATOR. ON OCTOBER 15, 1996, THE PILOT RECEIVED AN AERO CLUB FLIGHT CHECK IN THE AIRPLANE, AND RENTED THE AIRPLANE FOR 2 HOURS ON NOVEMBER 1, 1996, FOR A FLIGHT TO GALVESTON, TEXAS. ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE, MOVED THROUGH THE DICKINSON BAY AREA NEAR SAN LEON; HOWEVER, THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED CLEAR WITH OVERCAST SKIES ESTIMATED AT 2,000 TO 3,000 FEET BY THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. TWO WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN LEVEL FLIGHT BENEATH THE CLOUDS, ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING AND ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE CIRCLE TOWARD THE BAY. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE INA 3 TO 4 TURN SPIN BEFORE IMPACTING THE WATER AND EXPLODING WITH FLAMES AND BLACK SMOKE ERUPTING FOR 200 TO 300 FEET INTO THE AIR. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN ON THE WATER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND NUMEROUS WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE FIRE AS THE TYPE ASSOCIATED WITH A PIPELINE RUPTURE. DIVERS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DPS) REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN6 TO 8 FEET OF WATER. THE AFT PORTION OF THE EMPENNAGE PROTRUDED FROM THE WATER, THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL, AND THE RIGHT WING WAS ATTACHED AT THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AT THE AFT ATTACHMENT POINT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.