What happened
On September 16, 1995, a private Mooney M20 J-205, registration OO-JGB, departed from Genk, Belgium, en route to Cannes, France. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). While cruising near Dijon, the pilot contacted air traffic control to request an increase in altitude from Flight Level (FL) 100 to FL 110 to maintain VMC conditions.
During the climb, radar tracking showed a significant deceleration. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered a descent, and radio contact was lost. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft emerge from the clouds in a steep dive and spin, with some noting that the wings appeared to be deformed or partially missing. The wreckage was located in the Forêt de Cîteaux, approximately 15 NM south of Dijon. The impact resulted in four fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions, the aircraft's flight path, and the physiological state of the crew. Investigators analyzed radar data, which revealed four distinct phases: a stable cruise, a climb accompanied by heavy deceleration, a descent characterized by erratic radar plots, and a final phase where the aircraft disappeared from radar.
Physical examination of the wreckage showed that the aircraft had undergone extreme positive load factors, leading to the separation of the engine, wings, and parts of the tail unit. The investigation also examined the pilot's meteorological preparations, noting that the weather information obtained the previous day was outdated for the day of the flight. Furthermore, investigators assessed the possibility of hypoxia, as the aircraft had been operating above FL 100 for at least 15 minutes without supplemental oxygen.
Findings
- The pilot proceeded with the flight using outdated meteorological data, which failed to reflect the actual deteriorating conditions.
- The aircraft encountered moderate to heavy icing conditions, which significantly increased drag and caused the observed deceleration.
- The aircraft experienced a loss of control, likely due to an aerodynamic stall induced by icing.
- The investigation identified hypoxia as a potential aggravating factor, as the pilot's ability to process instructions and maintain altitude may have been compromised by oxygen deficiency.
- The aircraft suffered an in-flight structural breakup due to exceeding its design load limits during the uncontrolled descent.