Gallia-Meigs Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gallipolis, Ohio 45631
Sunday, January 6, 1991 13:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT INFORMED PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND THAT HE HAD THE AIRPORT INSIGHT, BUT WAS STILL INBOUND ON THE NDB APPROACH. THE PILOT EXPRESSED A CONCERN ABOUT THE WEATHER AND THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND COULD NOT MAKE THE LANDING. A PILOT FLYING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME SAID THE CEILINGS WERE RAGGED AND AT TIMES THE VISIBILITY WAS LOW. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO BE MIDIFIELD AT A LOW ALTITUDE, TURNING LEFT, LOSING ALTITUDE AND SPEED. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN 'STALLED AND SPUN' INTO THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH EITHER THE AIRFRAME OR THE ENGINE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE SPEED OF THE AIRPLANE TO GET TOO SLOW, RESULTING IN AN INADVERTANT STALL AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO ALLOW RECOVERY. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S TREPIDATION ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL LANDING BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/6/1991
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City GALLIPOLIS
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 45631
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GALLIA-MEIGS REGIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GAS
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 200
Airport Elevation 567
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1252 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 185
Weather Observation Facility ID HTS
Elevation of weather observation facility 828
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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 Light
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) 1873
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45812
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N231MC
NTSB Number NYC91FA058
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR/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 M20K25-0029
Certified Max Gross Weight 2807
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 May 7 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 99
Airframe Hours 783
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM R. WHITNEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT. 4 BOX 218A
Aircraft Owner City GALLIPOLIS
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 45631
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WILLIAM R. WHITNEY
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address RT. 4 BOX 218A
Operator City GALLIPOLIS
Operator State OH
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 45631
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 CAE
Departure City COLUMBIA
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1100
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 5
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --