- Date
- December 22, 2007, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carrollton, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9371MMooney M20F
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 67289
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's descent below the glidepath during the approach, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing factors included the pilot's diverted attention, pilot fatigue, and the night lighting conditions.
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 of a Mooney M20F was flying a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach and became distracted while attempting to locate and tune in the airport's common traffic advisory frequency. The airplane subsequently descended below the glideslope and impacted the ground about 1 mile from the airport. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He also indicated that due to strong headwinds, he had earlier stopped at an intermediate airport, and should have stayed there, as he was fatigued at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 1,075 hours of total flight experience, which included 990 hours in make and model, and 62 hours in actual instrument meteorological conditions. Weather, reported at an airport about 35 miles to the east of the accident site, about the time of the accident, included a visibility of 1.5 miles in light drizzle and mist, and broken and overcast cloud layers at 400 and 700 feet respectively.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of a Mooney M20F, he was flying a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach and became distracted while attempting to locate and tune in the airport's common traffic advisory frequency. The airplane subsequently descended below the glideslope and impacted the ground about 1 mile from the airport. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He also indicated that due to strong headwinds, he had earlier stopped at an intermediate airport, and should have stayed there, as he was fatigued at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 1,075 hours of total flight experience, which included 990 hours in make and model, and 62 hours in actual instrument meteorological conditions. Weather, reported at an airport about 35 miles to the east of the accident site, about the time of the accident, included a visibility of 1.5 miles in light drizzle and mist, and broken and overcast cloud layers at 400 and 700 feet respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9371M
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670255
- Airframe hours
- 2,992
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael W. Sanders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- VJI · Abingdon, VA
- Destination
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CTJ · West Georgia Regional, runway 35, 5,652 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,075 total · 990 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 36 nm away