# Accident 19980310003179A: Mooney M20C, White River, SD, March 10, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 10, 1998, 13:30 local time
- Place: White River, SD
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.5607° N, 100.7393° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5607&lon=-100.7393&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6235U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6235U-2007-05-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Reported engine: LYC O360A1D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 116 total, 34 in this make and model, 37 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA104) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980310003179A

## Narrative

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

ENROUTE ON SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE DUE RESTRICTED VISBILTY. ENGINE LOST POWER. (.4)WHILE CRUISING AT 500 TO 1,200 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH.  THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE FUEL MIXTURE.  TEN MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AGAIN AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT.  THE ENGINE THEN LOST ALL POWER.  A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A SNOW COVERED FIELD. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED ICE INSIDE THE AIRBOX.                        (-23) FLIGHT FROM RAPID CITY, SD, TO SIOUX CITY, IA.  WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE 1.75 MILES VISIBILITY AND BLOWING SNOW.  PRIVATE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE.  ONE HOUR AND 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE.  PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY, GEAR-UP LANDING IN 15 INCHES OF SNOW IN A PASTURE.  THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT WING AND TO ENGINE.

## 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 CHI98LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA104), Mar 10, 1998: Mooney M20C (N6235U), White River, SD, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's delay in applying carburetor heat. A factor associated with the accident was the low altitude at which the pilot was flying which limited his landing site selections when the loss of…

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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