- Date
- January 6, 1991, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gallipolis, OH
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N231MCMooney M20K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910106000249A
- Case key
- 36777
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 allowed the speed of the airplane to get too slow, resulting in an inadvertant stall at too low an altitude to allow recovery. A factor relating to the accident was the pilot's trepidation about a successful landing because of the weather.
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 informed personnel on the ground that he had the airport insight, but was still inbound on the NDB approach. The pilot expressed a concern about the weather and that he was too high and could not make the landing. A pilot flying in the area at the time said the ceilings were ragged and at times the visibility was low. The airplane was observed to be midifield at a low altitude, turning left, losing altitude and speed. The airplane was then 'stalled and spun' into the ground. Examination of the wreckage showed no discrepancies with either the airframe or the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231MC
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M20K25-0029
- Airframe hours
- 783
- Engine
- Continental TIO-360-GB1, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William R. Whitney
- Registered owner
- William R. Whitney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 1990 · 99 hours before
- Departed
- CAE · Columbia, SC
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- GAS · Gallia-Meigs Regional, runway 5, 4,000 × 75 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 388 total · 200 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 7.5 in the last 30 days · 3.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HTS, 30 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.