# NTSB CHI95LA057: Mooney M20J, N4023H, Scott City, KS, December 11, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 11, 1994, 16:51 local (22:51 UTC) - Place: Scott City, KS - Coordinates: 38.470294, -100.899612 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4703&lon=-100.8996&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 9, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 9812 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI95LA057 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9812/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95LA057 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to attain compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the crosswind condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - not attained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - crop ## Analysis DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED AND SOUGHT HELP IN FINDING A LANDING SITE BEFORE THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED FUEL EXHAUSTION. AFTER BEING GUIDED TO AN AIRPORT THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 17. HE STATED THAT WHILE LANDING THE WIND WAS 230 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS. HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT FOR THE CROSSWIND ON LANDING AND THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY INTO A CORN FIELD. ## Factual narrative On December 11, 1994, at 1651 central standard time, a Mooney M20J, N4023H, registered to Herb Porter of Speedway, Indiana, impacted the terrain during a landing on runway 17 (5,000 x 72' dry/asphalt) at Scott City Municipal airport, Scott City, Kansas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot received serious injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Indianapolis, Indiana, at 1105 central standard time, with the intended destination of Liberal, Kansas. The pilot said that he had intended to use LORAN navigation to reach his destination; however, the airplane encountered an area of unreliable LORAN signals. He became disoriented and requested help from the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Route Traffic Control Center, located in Denver, Colorado, in locating an airport before the airplane suffered fuel exhaustion. He was guided to Scott City, Kansas, by a military airplane. He stated that the wind on landing was 230 degrees at 30 knots with gusts to 40. He said that during the landing he was unable to correct for the crosswind. After touchdown on the runway, the airplane exited the runway and impacted the terrain in a corn field, adjacent to the airport. The nearest weather reporting station to the accident was Garden City, Kansas. They were reporting winds of 160 degrees at 22 knots with gusts to 29, at the time of the accident. This reporting station is located 35 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4023H](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4023H-1996-02-06), registration cancelled 1996-02-06, S/N 241018 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J - Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-1018 - Airframe hours: 2010 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-A3B6D 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Porter, Herb - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 17, 1994, 53 hours before - Departed: I14, INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Destination: LBL, LIBERAL, KS - Airport: TQK, Scott City Municipal, runway 17, 5,000 × 72 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 79; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 950 total, 700 in this make and model, 51 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 22 knots, gusting 29 - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft broken - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: GCK, 35 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 19941211041289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941211041289A), Dec 11, 1994: Mooney M20J, Scott City, KS, Substantial damage. Off course vectored to 2K9. Unable to correct for strong crosswind lalnding. Exited runway into corn field. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.