History of Flight
On November 27, 2022, at 1729 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20J, N201RF, was substantially damaged when it struck a power line tower near Gaithersburg, Maryland. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
ADS-B data indicated the airplane departed Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) that morning, flew to Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, New York, and was returning to GAI under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.
Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at GAI, with reported wind variable at 4 knots, an overcast ceiling at 200 ft above ground level, and 1.25 statute miles visibility in fog. A convective SIGMET was valid at the time.
Air traffic control communications showed the pilot was advised to expect the RNAV/GPS A approach at GAI, but he requested the RNAV (GPS) RWY 14 approach because weather was below minimums for the GPS A approach. The controller cleared the pilot direct to the BEGKA intermediate fix, but the pilot turned about 100° right instead. The controller issued heading changes and direct clearances to waypoints on the RNAV RWY 14 approach; however, the pilot made a series of left and right turns, near course reversals, or continued headings despite requests to turn.
At one point, the controller asked the pilot to confirm the BEGKA waypoint. The pilot responded that he had entered information incorrectly and was correcting it. Another aircraft on approach announced visibility below minima and diverted; its pilot thought a successful approach by the next airplane was “doubtful.” The controller confirmed that the preceding aircraft had performed a missed approach due to poor visibility.
At 1717, about 8 miles northeast of BEGKA, the accident pilot reported “cloud deck at 2,800 feet and clear above.” The controller then cleared the pilot direct to BEGKA and cleared him for the RNAV RWY 14 approach. The airplane crossed BEGKA at about 2,775 ft GPS altitude (minimum 3,000 ft msl), crossed the final approach fix TIMBE at 1,500 ft msl (minimum 2,200 ft msl), crossed JOXOX at 750 ft msl (minimum 1,280 ft msl), and crossed the visual descent point at 587 ft msl. About 1.25 miles from the runway and left of centerline, the airplane impacted a power line tower at an elevation about 600 ft msl and 100 ft agl. Between JOXOX and the tower, the airplane descended as low as 475 ft.
The airplane remained suspended in the tower. During a call to 911, the pilot said, “I got down a little lower than I should have… I thought I was closer to the airport than I was…We could see the ground, but we couldn’t see in front.” After several hours, the occupants egressed with rescue and utility assistance.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His FAA third-class medical certificate was issued August 1, 2022, with 1,432 total hours. He completed an instrument proficiency check on February 17, 2022. Logbook entries from the year before the accident indicated 16 hours of actual and 5.4 hours of simulated instrument flight experience.
Aircraft Information
The Mooney M20J, manufactured in 1977, was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D 200-horsepower engine. Its most recent annual inspection was completed February 1, 2022, at 4,288.5 total aircraft hours. The altimeter static system and altitude reporting equipment were tested on June 22, 2022, in accordance with regulations.
The airplane was equipped with an IFR-certified Garmin 430 panel-mounted GPS. In media interviews, the pilot described the fog as “pea soup” and expressed concern about his altimeter working correctly. Post-accident altimeter testing, performed under NTSB supervision, found the altimeter “well within the test allowable error at all ranges.”
Meteorological Information
Weather at GAI at 1656 included 1 ¼ sm visibility, overcast ceiling at 200 ft agl, temperature 11°C, dew point 11°C, and altimeter 29.45 inHg. At 1727, visibility was 2 ½ sm in mist with overcast ceiling at 200 ft agl. Frederick Municipal Airport, 18 nm northwest, reported 3 sm visibility and overcast ceiling at 400 ft agl. A HRRR model sounding near the accident site identified wet fog between the surface and about 600 ft, low-level wind shear and light to moderate turbulence around 1,900 ft, and severe turbulence above 1,900 ft. Cloudy conditions were identified from about 750 ft through 3,650 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck a power line tower and remained suspended. Rescue personnel separated the airframe from the engine and cut propeller blades to disentangle the engine. Examination confirmed flight control continuity. The propeller blades showed twisting, bending, leading edge gouging, and chordwise scratching. The engine exhibited only minor impact damage; compression was confirmed on all cylinders, and the magneto produced spark. Fuel lines contained fuel; oil screens were clean. The vacuum pump functioned when rotated. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were found.
Additional Information
In media interviews, the pilot said he was “flying too low” and did not divert because it was “extremely inconvenient to everybody on the ground.” He later said he wished he had diverted, noting that airplanes ahead had diverted. He stated he was trained to fly in bad weather and assessed the risk as “manageable and marginal,” referencing a previous crash in 1992.
The pilot did not respond to NTSB interview requests or submit an accident report. He spoke to media and appeared for an FAA interview 10 days after the accident. He said he filed an IFR flight plan for the return and intended to fly the GPS-A approach but was switched to the RWY 14 approach at his request due to weather. He reported mis-programming the panel-mounted GPS, making “a significant diversion from his course.” He could not articulate GPS features and often used a handheld VFR-only GPS to avoid complex keystrokes. He noted he was not receiving vertical guidance on final approach and set an altitude alarm at 800 ft, but at 1,200 ft he sighted the ground and could not recall subsequent altitudes. He was focused on keeping ground contact through the side window and pulling the airport out of the soup. He was familiar with the powerlines and believed he was “on the airport side of them.”
The FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook guidance on transitioning from instrument to visual flight during low visibility operations was included in the investigation documentation.