Mooney M20J N40HL

Summary

On 20 April 1998 at about 02:23 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N40HL, operated by Charles T Gunzburg, was involved in an accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 April 1998 at 02:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial (BDR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N40HL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Charles T Gunzburg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newport News → Farmingdale

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC98FA095

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were dark night conditions, low ceilings, rain, and his decision to divert to an airport under instrument meteorological conditions when visual meteorological conditions existed at other airports.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed Florida and made a fuel stop in Virginia. Later during a night precision instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to Farmingdale, New York, the airplane struck trees. The pilot executed a missed approach that did not comply with published procedures, and was then offered several alternate airports, some under visual meteorological conditions. The pilot chose a divert airport which was IMC, and for which he did not have the precision approach charts. The approach information was provided by air traffic control. During the approach, the pilot was advised by the tower controller that his landing lights could be seen over the approach end of the runway as the airplane was 'going back into the clouds.' The airplane was next observed well left of the runway. The pilot was asked his altitude and he responded '300 feet.' The tower controller gave the pilot a vector and told him to contact approach control, and the airplane disappeared into the clouds again. The airplane then exited the base of the clouds in a right descending turn and struck the ground. Weather conditions immediately before and after the accident at Bridgeport were reported in part as 400 foot overcast, rain and visibility of 2 to 3 miles. Radar data revealed erratic altitudes on the glideslope and during vectors. The accident airport did not have an approach lighting system to the precision approach runway. In January 1995, the Safety Board issued a recommendation to install an approach lighting system to that runway 'as soon as possible.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.