- Date
- November 17, 1983, 19:20 local (Nov 18, 1983, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, MN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9644BMooney M-20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831117060029A
- Case key
- 12496
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with trees during an approach on a dark night. The weather was VMC and the plt canceled his IFR flt plan 15 miles east of the arpt. The plt approached the arpt in a normal VFR pattern but on final approach he got an illusion from the lights that he was closer than he actually was according to his statement. Because of the short rwy (2600 ft) he made a low approach and contacted trees at about 150 ft AGL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9644B
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0527
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tri-State Drilling & Eqpt Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BWG · Bowling Green, KY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 8Y2 · Buffalo Muni, runway 17, 2,600 × 200 ft
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,779 total · 509 in this make and model · 1,682 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -2 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 32 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.