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20080316837499A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20C · Atkins, VA · March 16, 2008

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Date
March 16, 2008 · 10:37 local
Place
Atkins, VA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
CFRSK
Reported as
Mooney M20C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
327 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The aircraft was in IFR cruise flight from charleston, WV (crw) to jacksonville, FL (crg), at 6200 feet when the pilot reported airframe icing and requested a lower altitude. However, because the minimum sector altitude for that area was 6200 feet, the controller gave the pilot a 30 degree left turn. Another pilot, in an airplane about 30 nautical miles to the east, reported cloud tops at 7500 feet. The controller asked the pilot if he would like to climb to 8000 feet, and the pilot responed that he would. About 3 minutes later, the pilot advised the controller that he was losing altitude. The controller told him to maintain whatever altitude he could, and advised him of the location of the nearest airport. There were no further communications from the aircraft. The wreckage was located in a wooded area in jefferson national forest approximately 4 miles north of the mountain empire airport, VA (mkj). The aircraft was destroyed and the two occupants onboard sustained fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN IFR CRUISE FLIGHT FROM CHARLESTON, WV (CRW) TO JACKSONVILLE, FL (CRG), AT 6200 FEET WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED AIRFRAME ICING AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE MINIMUM SECTOR ALTITUDE FOR THAT AREA WAS 6200 FEET, THE CONTROLLER GAVE THE PILOT A 30 DEGREE LEFT TURN. ANOTHER PILOT, IN AN AIRPLANE ABOUT 30 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE EAST, REPORTED CLOUD TOPS AT 7500 FEET. THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WOULD LIKE TO CLIMB TO 8000 FEET, AND THE PILOT RESPONED THAT HE WOULD. ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. THE CONTROLLER TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN WHATEVER ALTITUDE HE COULD, AND ADVISED HIM OF THE LOCATION OF THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A WOODED AREA IN JEFFERSON NATIONAL FOREST APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE AIRPORT, VA (MKJ). THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE TWO OCCUPANTS ONBOARD SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.