# NTSB BFO86FA050: Mooney M20F, N6443Q, Leesburg, VA, September 29, 1986

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: September 28, 1986, 22:42 local (Sep 29, 1986, 02:42 UTC)
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Location: 39.1028° N, 77.5545° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Leesburg, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1028&lon=-77.5545&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 11217
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=BFO86FA050
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/11217/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO86FA050

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with terrain/water, circling (ifr)
  - airport facilities,runway end ident lights(reil) - inoperative (contributing factor)
  - notams - not issued, airport personnel (contributing factor)
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - fog (contributing factor)
  - minimum descent altitude - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - missed approach - not performed

## Analysis

DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR A VOR RWY 35 APCH. ALSO, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE RWY LIGHTS &THAT OTHER PLTS HAD MADE MISSED APCHS THAT EVENING DUE TO DIM ARPT LIGHTING. HE WAS THEN CLRD TO UNICOM FREQ & TOLD TO CANCEL HIS IFR CLNC AFTER HE HAD LANDED. HOWEVER, BEFORE LANDING, THE ACFT CRASHED ON LVL TERRAIN APRX 1/2 MI NORTHWEST OF THE ARPT WHILE IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT & ENG REVEALED NO PREIMPACT PART MALFUNCTION/FAILURE. RADAR DATA INDICATED THE ACFT HAD BEGUN A 360 DEGREE TURN AT ABOUT THE TIME IT CROSSED OVER THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 35. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED WHILE TURNING THRU A HEADING OF ABOUT 240 DEG. APRX 9 MI SSE AT THE DULLES IAP, THE WX WAS IN PART: 1700' SCATTERED, 2200' BROKEN, VIS 3 MI WITH FOG. WITNESS STATEMENTS & A WX STUDY INDICATED THERE WERE AREAS OF FOG AROUND THE ARPT WITH THE VIS AS LOW AS 1/2 MI. THE REIL LIGHTS & THE PLT CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM HAD BEEN INOP SINCE 5/15/86, BUT NO NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED. THEREFORE, THE RWY LIGHTS (MIRL SYS) HAD BEEN PRESET ON MEDIUM INTENSITY.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6443Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6443Q-2000-04-05), registration cancelled 2000-04-05, S/N 670522 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20F
- Registry model: [Mooney M20F](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20f) (registry code 5870214) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 670522
- Airframe hours: 4
- Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-A1A 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: James M Rees
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, November 29, 1985, 116 hours before
- Departed: NC67, W. JEFFERSON, NC
- Destination: W09, LEESBURG, VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: W09, Leesburg Muni, runway 35, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 45; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 262 total, 241 in this make and model, 196 as pilot in command, 47 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Wind: 170° at 5 knots
- Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: IAD, 9 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19860928053209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860928053209A), Sep 28, 1986: Mooney M20F, Leesburg, VA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Fog night and dim runway lights. Circled over jyo lost control and crashed. Pilot controlled inop lights a factor.

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.

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