- Date
- November 21, 1986, 20:45 local (Nov 22, 1986, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Arcola, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9347MMooney M20E
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861121059979A
- Case key
- 22218
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 plt departed Arcola, TX, VFR, on rwy 10, made a 180 degree left climbing turn and entered clouds at about the boundary line on the west side of the arpt. The radar operator stated the acft continued westbound one to two miles beyond the arpt then entered an abrupt left descending turn and disappeared from radar. The acft descended from the low clouds into a small clearing at high rate of speed. It clipped the top from two small trees in the clearing and attempted to climb. Light ground contact was made and then the acft impacted and separated a large dead tree immediately above ground level. It then climbed to an altitude of 20-25 ft and collided with other large trees. It continued travel about 100 ft into a heavily wooded area and came to rest in a near vertical nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9347M
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1279
- Airframe hours
- 2,015
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Raymond E. & Alton J. Burch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1986 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- AXH · Arcola, TX
- Destination
- CFD · Bryan, TX
- Airport
- AXH · Houston Southwest
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,190 total · 160 in this make and model · 1,960 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 15 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.