Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Laredo, Texas 78041
Wednesday, January 17, 1996 20:11 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot departed from runway 14 with winds 150 degrees at 25 knots, blowing dust and haze, no moon, and high broken cloud condition. The airplane's departure route was over sparsely populated cattle country with minimal lighting. Radar contact was lost 3 minutes after takeoff. According to a witness who had flown with the pilot earlier in the day, the pilot flew that entire trip on autopilot, engaging it at 2,500 feet MSL during his climb out to 8,000 feet. The 500 hour pilot purchased the aircraft in August of 1995, and had acquired an estimated 45 hours of flight time in it, and last flew it in late December, 1995. According to FAA records, the pilot received a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan. Witnesses at the FBO in Laredo reported that the pilot asked them for some aspirin just before his takeoff; but they did not have any. The aircraft impacted the ground in an attitude of approximately 30 degrees nose low, and a right bank of approximately 90 degrees.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's loss of aircraft control. A factor was the dark night conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/17/1996
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2011
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City LAREDO
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78041
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1946 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID LRD
Elevation of weather observation facility 508
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 16
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 25
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 722
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 21 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1119
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 9:46AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N231GS
NTSB Number FTW96FA091
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Mooney
Aircraft Model M20K
Aircraft Series Identifier M20K
Aircraft Serial Number 25-0158
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 23 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 1849
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PAR CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 201 N. WALNUT ST.
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19801
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DEARL G. FOXWORTH
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5810 ROYAL LANE
Operator City SAN ANTONIO
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 78239
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code LRD
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 2008
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SAT
Destination City SAN ANTONIO
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --