# Accident 19971023030839A: Mooney M20K, Emporia, KS, October 23, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 23, 1997, 20:17 local time
- Place: Emporia, KS
- Airport: Emporia Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4098° N, 96.1909° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4098&lon=-96.1909&mi=10
- Aircraft: N305RJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N305RJ-2001-03-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520NB
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 677 total, 119 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA022) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971023030839A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST CONTROL ONNIGHT LANDING. IMPACTED GROUND. EXPLODED. BURNED. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE SECOND OF A TWO LEG IFR CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, TO EMPORIA, KANSAS, WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO. ON CONTACTING THE KANSAS CITY AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC), THE PILOT WAS INFORMED THAT EMPORIA WEATHER WAS 10 MILES VISIBILITY, AND AN OVERCAST CEILING OF 600 FEET AGL. AT 1951 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), KANSAS CITY ARTCC CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE VOR APPROACH INTO THE EMPORIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.   AT 2002 CDT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ON THE MISSED APPROACH.  THE PILOT REQUESTED ANOTHER VOR APPROACH.  KANSAS CITY ARTCC CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE APPROACH, AND TOLD HIM TO REPORT 'ESTABLISHED' ON THE APPROACH.  AT 2014 CDT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ESTABLISHED INBOUND ON THE VOR APPROACH.  KANSAS CITY ARTCC INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO 'GO OVER TO ADVISORY [FREQUENCY] AND REPORT CANCELLATION ON THIS FREQUENCY.'  THE PILOT RESPONDED,' OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CANCEL IFR RIGHT NOW.'  THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, NEAR EMPORIA AIRPORT, AT 2017 CDT.  THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK SHOWED THAT HE HAD 44.1 HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME.  A  PILOT, WHO HAD DEPARTED THE EMPORIA AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 CDT, DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AS 'MARGINAL, A CEILING OF AROUND 700 FEET AGL,' AND THE VISIBILITY AS BEING 6 TO 7 MILES.  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98FA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA022), Oct 24, 1997: Mooney M20K (N305RJ), Emporia, KS, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an altitude above the minimum descent altitude for the approach. Factors contributing to this accident were the low ceiling, rain, and fog.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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