Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Louis Bennett Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Weston, West Virginia 26452
Sunday, September 20, 1992 20:01 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER BEING ALERTED TO AN OIL STREAK ALONG THE SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, THE PILOT CHECKED THE OIL AND THEN DEPARTED ON A NIGHT FLIGHT OVER HILLY TERRAIN. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED 'MOTOR TROUBLES' TO APPROACH CONTROL AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. THIS AIRPORT HAD NO RUNWAY LIGHTING. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN PARTIAL POWER FOR ABOUT 14 MINUTES. DURING THIS TIME, THE ATC CONTROLER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN ATTEMPTS TO TURN ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AT THE CLOSEST AIRPORT, AND WAS UNAWARE THE LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SERVICE. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED 'ITS DEAD' AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT. HE WAS UNABLE TO LAND AT THE UNLIT AIRPORT, DESPITE GUIDANCE FROM ATC AND ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH WAS IN THE VICINITY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN AND WAS DESTROYED. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NO. 1 CYLINDER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE CRANKCASE IN FLIGHT. A METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE OF FRETTING DAMAGE ON THE ATTACHMENT FLANGE AND FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ATTACHING THROUGH BOLTS AND HOLD DOWN STUDS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE INADEQUATE TORQUE OF THE NO. 1 CYLINDER ATTACH BOLTS AND STUDS, FATIQUE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS/STUDS, AND SEPARATION OF THE NO. 1 CYLINDER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND HILLY TERRAIN, WHICH WERE UNSUITABLE FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2001 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | WESTON |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26452 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LOUIS BENNETT FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 49I |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 3200 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1945 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CKB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1203 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 900 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 20 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2105 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99693 |
| NTSB Number | BFO92FA152 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20K |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25-0548 |
| 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 | Feb 25 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1500 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | T AND S RENTALS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1430 VAN VOORHIS ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | MORGANTOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 26505 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | T AND S RENTALS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1430 VAN VOORHIS ROAD |
| Operator City | MORGANTOWN |
| Operator State | WV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 26505 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRW |
| Departure City | CHARLESTON |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MGW |
| Destination City | MORGANTOWN |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | 3195 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |