Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Clovis Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clovis, New Mexico 88135
Friday, March 12, 2004 21:20 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, at 11,000 feet msl, while on a cross-country IMC flight, he encountered rime icing conditions. He requested, and was given, clearance to descend to 8,000 feet msl. He stated that he received the local weather conditions and decided to divert to a nearby airport. He stated that the airport weather conditions were reported as: ceiling, 100 feet; visibility, 4 miles; and wind, 165 degrees at 6 knots. After contacting the local approach control, he requested and received vectors for runway 04. He stated that, at approximately 4,400 feet msl, while established on the glide slope and localizer, he struck something, and all radio communication was lost. The pilot immediately initiated a missed approach. Approximately 1 hour later, he reestablished radio contact with the local approach control. Approach control gave him vectors to runway 22 at another nearby airport. He stated that he "broke out" of the clouds at approximately 200 to 300 feet agl, on a "45 degree" to runway 22. At 2230, he landed at without further incident. An examination of the airplane revealed several scratches along the bottom of the aft fuselage and empennage. These "braided" scratches were similar to scratches associated with contacting a power transmission line. Several areas on the bottom of the airplane exhibited burns and "arcing." The airplane received substantial damage to the aft fuselage bulkhead and lower tail cone assembly.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making during an instrument approach resulting in the pilot's intentional descent below approach minimums, and the pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance resulting in the in-flight collision with an object. Contributing factors include the dark night light conditions, and the wires.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/12/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2120 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Clovis |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88135 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Clovis Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CVN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 140 |
| Airport Elevation | 4216 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 165 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.02 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4285 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16259 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Lubbock FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 15 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Lubbock FAA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6958V |
| NTSB Number | DEN04LA065 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21-1191 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Sep 30 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 7000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | George W. Carlson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. Box 1765 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ardmore |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 73402 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | INW |
| Departure City | Windslow |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1F0 |
| Destination City | Ardmore |
| Destination State | OK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 10 2004 1:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |