- Date
- January 3, 1987, 13:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Gladewater, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N201AVMooney M20J
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870103000029A
- Case key
- 22227
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 pilot departed into low overcast clouds (about 200 foot ceiling) with one to two miles visibility in light rain and fog. He did not file a flight plan although he was instrument rated. His currency for flight in instrument conditions are unknown. Immediately after entering the clouds the pilot initiated a climbing left turn of about 150-160 degrees. About a minute later the aircraft crashed 1.5 miles south of the departure airport. Impact occurred in a steep nose down attitude of 60-75 degrees and at a high rate of speed. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction was found. The climbing left turn immediately after entering the clouds would have been conducive to spatial disorientation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201AV
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0419
- Airframe hours
- 472
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clifford E. Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1986
- Departed
- O7F · Gladewater, TX
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Airport
- O7F · Gladewater Municipal
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TYR, 25 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.