- Date
- August 24, 1991, 01:45 local (05:45 UTC)
- Place
- Meadville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3827NMooney M20F
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910824036679A
- Case key
- 36996
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
Engine failure resulting from the fatigue failure of the number 2 cylinder exhaust valve and the subsequent forced landing at night. A factor related to the accident was the restricted visibility.
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 airplane was cruising at night at 8000 feet. The pilot said '[there was a] sudden violent vibration...[I] changed mixture, gas tanks, adjusted prop setting...no changes. Pulled power back to reduce vibration.' The pilot was vectored towards the nearest airport. He was able to locate the runway, but because of fog and lack of adequate visibility, he was unable to dissipate the excess altitude and overshot the runway. The examination of the engine revealed the number 2 cylinder exhaust valve failed because of fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3827N
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 688121
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James H. Flynn
- Registered owner
- James H. Flynn
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- HEF · Manassas, VA
- Destination
- APN · Alpina, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 2G6 · Meadville, runway 25, 5,002 × 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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,519 total · 172 in this make and model · 1,365 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.