Mooney M20K N3866H

Summary

On 22 July 1985 at about 21:12 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N3866H was involved in an accident near Durango, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 July 1985 at 21:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Durango, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Animas (5000)

Coordinates

37.2700, -107.8799

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N3866H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sante Fe → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN85LA198

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO LANDING, THE UNICOM OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 20 KTS & WAS GUSTY. ALSO, HE SAID THAT WHILE ON BASE LEG, HE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. HE STATED THAT HE APPLIED PWR & RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO ARREST THE SINK RATE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK THE GROUND ABOUT 5 FT SHORT OF THE RWY, DAMAGED THE LANDING GEAR, COLLIDED WITH APCH/RWY LIGHTS & SLID ABOUT 170 ON ITS BELLY BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE RWY. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK WHICH WAS EMPTY. FUEL WAS STILL REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK. ALSO, THE PROP BORE EVIDENCE OF LITTLE OR NO ROTATION AT IMPACT. ABOUT 8 MI EAST-SOUTHEAST AT THE LA PLATA ARPT, THE 1455 MDT WIND WAS FROM 020 DEG AT 5 KTS. THE DENSITY ALT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 8478 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.