Mooney M20F N2954L
27 November 1997 · Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 November 1997 at about 23:30 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N2954L, operated by Calvin A. Bohannon, was involved in an accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Stuttgart Municipal (SGT)
- Coordinates
- 34.4892, -91.5501
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F
- Registration
- N2954L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Calvin A. Bohannon
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- De Witt → Little Rock
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- FTW98LA059
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to activate the runway lights, which led to his selection of a closed/abandoned runway for the landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the unlatched cabin door, and the lack of lighting conditions at dusk.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the cabin door popped open while in cruise flight approximately 10 minutes after takeoff. The pilot added that 'the airplane began to buffet and vibrate.' He further stated that 'the wind noise in the cabin made communications difficult' and the pilot's 12 year old son, who was seated in the right front seat, 'became excited and scared.' The pilot asked Little Rock Approach Control for a vector to the Stuttgart Municipal Airport to land and secure the cabin door. During arrival over the airport, the pilot circled the airport as he attempted to activate the pilot controlled runway lights by clicking on frequency 122.9; however, the pilot was unable to activate any of the runway lights. UNICOM frequency 122.8 MHz was listed as the published frequency to activate the runway lights. The pilot attempted to land on a runway that had been closed and abandoned for over 10 years; its surface was reported to have been partly torn off.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20F accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1997 | Mooney M20F | Safford, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 1997 | Mooney M20F | Coral Springs, Florida, United States | John J. Kelly | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Aug 1997 | Mooney M20F | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Dec 1997 | Mooney M20F | Ferncliff, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1997 | Mooney M20F | College Station, Texas, United States | Texas A&M Flying Club Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1997 | Mooney M20F | Marietta, Oklahoma, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1997 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Waldenburg, Arkansas, United States | Leon E. Jacobi | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1997 | Grumman G-164B | Swifton, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Ashdown, Arkansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1997 | Reiffer RS-15 | Ward, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1997 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Crossett, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1997 | Gulfstream-Schweizer G-164B | Palestine, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |