Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dawson Community Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Glendive, Montana 59330
Sunday, May 17, 1992 11:25 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT OF THE MOONEY M20F RETRACTED HIS LANDING GEAR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TIRES LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY. HE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHILE FLYING VERY LOW OVER THE AIRFIELD, AND THEN EXECUTED A STEEP RIGHT HAND 180 DEGREE TURNING PULL-UP. NUMEROUS PILOT-RATED WITNESSES STATED THAT DURING THIS PULL-UP THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING JUST ON THE EDGE OF A STALL. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE APPROACH END OF THE AIRFIELD, ENTERED A DESCENDING TURN AND THEN EXECUTED A HIGH SPEED, LOW LEVEL PASS. DURING THIS PASS A HELIUM FILLED BALLOON WAS RELEASED FOR THE PILOT TO ATTEMPT TO BURST WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S PROPELLER. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PASS, THE PILOT MADE A RAPID CLIMBING PULL-UP TO THE LEFT, REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE BANK ANGLE AT THE TOP OF THE CLIMBING TURN WAS ESTIMATED BY THE WITNESSES TO BE APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED APPROXIMATELY THE SAME ANGLE OF BANK AS IT DESCENDED TOWARD THE TERRAIN, ULTIMATELY IMPACTING NEAR THE RUNWAY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT, AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND THE AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1125 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | GLENDIVE |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59330 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DAWSON COMMUNITY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GDV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 20 |
| Airport Elevation | 2456 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3028 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 17 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46329 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2920L |
| NTSB Number | SEA92FA101 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 670314 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2740 |
| 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 | Nov 4 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FISCHER, RICHARD C. & VERRIL J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1427 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MINOT |
| Aircraft Owner State | ND |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 58702 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FISCHER, RICHARD C. & VERRIL J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 1427 |
| Operator City | MINOT |
| Operator State | ND |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 58702 |
| 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 | GDV |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MOT |
| Destination City | MINOT |
| Destination State | ND |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 5704 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |