# NTSB DEN80FA021: Mooney M20F, N6439Q, Grantsville, UT, January 27, 1980

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Closed
- Date: January 27, 1980
- Place: Grantsville, UT · GRANTSVILLE, UT
- Location: 40.5999° N, 112.4644° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Grantsville, UT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5999&lon=-112.4644&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Uncontrolled descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/650) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Completed, report April 28, 1981
- Report: Brief approved by the director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 131579
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN80FA021
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN80FA021

## NTSB brief

```
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-3695  80/1/27    GRANTSVILLE,UT      MOONEY M20F         CR-  1  0  0  NONCOMMERCIAL             PRIVATE, AGE 52, 2040
        TIME - 0900                    N6439Q              PX-  1  0  0  PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP  TOTAL HOURS, UNK/NR IN
                                       DAMAGE-DESTROYED    OT-  0  0  0                            TYPE, NOT INSTRUMENT
                                                                                                   RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          WENDOVER,UT                 SALT LAKE CITY,UT
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: UNCONTROLLED                IN FLIGHT: UNCONTROLLED DESCENT
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
           PILOT IN COMMAND - SPATIAL DISORIENTATION
        FACTOR(S)
           WEATHER - SNOW
        WEATHER BRIEFING - BRIEFED BY FLIGHT SERVICE PERSONNEL, BY RADIO
        WEATHER FORECAST - FORECAST SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT
        SKY CONDITION                                            CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE
          OVERCAST/LOWER SCATTERED                                  6500
        VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE                              PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE
          5 OR OVER(UNLIMITED)                                     SNOW SHOWERS
        OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE                  TEMPERATURE-F
          SMOKE                                                     30
        WIND DIRECTION-DEGREES                                   WIND VELOCITY-KNOTS
          320                                                       15
        TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS                               TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN
          IFR                                                      NONE
        REMARKS- SNOW SHOWERS IN AREA.
```

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6439Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6439Q-1981-01-07), registration cancelled 1981-01-07, S/N 670518 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20F
- Registry model: [Mooney M20F](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20f) (registry code 5870214) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed

## 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 19800127001929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800127001929A), Jan 27, 1980: Mooney M20F, Grantsville, UT, Destroyed, 1 fatal. VFR pilot proceeded into area of snow-showers, haze, smoke. Lost control of airplane. Vertical nose-down impact.

## Other investigations on N6439Q (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 DEN69F0244](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN69F0244), May 2, 1969: Mooney M20F (N6439Q), Woods Cross, UT, substantial damage

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.