- Date
- February 16, 1992, 10:31 local (15:31 UTC)
- Place
- Wheeling, WV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N231NRMooney M20K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920216003079A
- Case key
- 37053
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 failure to maintain airspeed and his improper handling of the aircraft which resulted in an inadvertent stall at an altitude insufficient for proper recovery. A factor related to the accident was icing conditions which resulted in airframe ice.
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
While at cruise altitude, the pilot reported '...we're very low on oil pressure and the cylinder head temperature is getting very high.' The pilot was cleared to divert to Wheeling, WV., and execute the VOR approach to runway 21. Witnesses saw the airplane break out of the clouds at approx 500 ft over the end of the runway and then make a rt banked turn of more than 60 degrees. The airplane then rolled to the left and struck the ground. Post accident exam of the engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure. 'Moderate' rime icing conditions existed along the pilot's route of flight and approximately 1 inch of ice was found on the leading edge of the left wing shortly after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231NR
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0328
- Airframe hours
- 1,277
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-GB1, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David B. & Elisabeth Fraser
- Registered owner
- David B. & Elisabeth Fraser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 19, 1991 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- N67 · Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- HLG · Wheeling-Ohio County, runway 21, 5,000 × 150 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,898 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HLG, 1 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.