DEN85FA014

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20C · Cheyenne, WY · October 20, 1984

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report

Date: October 19, 1984, 21:25 local (Oct 20, 1984, 03:25 UTC)
Place: Cheyenne, WY
Injuries: 1 fatal
Damage: Destroyed
Phase of flight: Enroute
Aircraft: N558BQMooney M20C
Weather: Night/dark
Status: Completed
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19841019057329A
Case key: 16508

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

In flight encounter with weatherClimb - to cruise

Weather condition - obscuration

Weather condition - snow

Loss of control - in flightManeuvering

Flight into known adverse weather - performedPilot in commandCause

Lack of total instrument timePilot in commandFactor

In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Terrain condition - open field

Terrain condition - snow covered

Analysis

The a/c with a non-instrument rated pilot at the controls, departed the Cheyenne, WY airport at night in light snow showers. Several minutes later he crashed in an open field north of cheyene impact forces and a post acc fire dest the a/c. evidence indicated minutes the a/c was functioning normally until grd impact.

Aircraft

Registration: N558BQ
Reported as: Mooney M20C
Category: Airplane
Serial number: 2980
Airframe hours: 29,256
Engine: Avco Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Destroyed
Fire: On-Ground
Flight: Personal · Part 91
Registered owner: John H. Baird
Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
Last inspection: Annual · August 29, 1984 · 216 hours before
Departed: CYS · Cheyenne, WY
Destination: CPT · Casper, WY
Flight plan: VFR/IFR

N558BQRegistration cancelled Aug 23, 1985 · Mooney M20CS/N 2980 Airframe modelMooney M20C

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role: Pilot
Age: 40
Certificate: Private
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land
Medical: Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat: Left
Toxicology: Performed
Flight hours: 19,429 total · 203 in this make and model · 1,286 as pilot in command · 357 in the last 90 days · 203 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Night/dark
Wind: 40° at 5 knots
Visibility: 4 statute miles
Lowest ceiling: 400 ft
Temperature: 28 °F, dew point 23 °F
Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Observed at: CYS, 5 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.

Accident 19841019057329AMooney M20C · Cheyenne, WYCollided with ground after special VFR takeoff at night. Pilot not instrument rated flew into snowshowers.Oct 19, 1984 · N558BQ · Destroyed