N305RJ

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 23, 1997, at 2017 central daylight time (cdt), a Mooney M20K, N305RJ, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when while maneuvering, the airplane impacted the terrain. A post-crash fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was on file. The pilot and two passengers on board the airplane were fatally injured. The flight originated at Farmington, New Mexico, at 1601 mountain daylight time (mdt), and was en route to Emporia, Kansas.

The pilot telephoned the Las Vegas, Nevada, Flight Service Station (FSS) at 0744 pacific daylight time (pdt), and requested a briefing for a flight from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Farmington, New Mexico, and then continuing on to Emporia, Kansas. The pilot stated that he would be leaving at noon and requested a "general synopsis." The pilot received an outlook briefing.

At 1048 pdt, the pilot called the Reno, Nevada FSS, and requested to file an IFR flight plan and receive a weather briefing. The pilot filed two flight plans and received a weather briefing. The pilot departed Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1158 pdt.

At 1500 mdt, the pilot called Albuquerque, New Mexico FSS by telephone and received an updated weather briefing for an IFR flight from Farmington, New Mexico, to Emporia, Kansas.

At 1554 mdt, the pilot contacted Farmington, New Mexico, Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) requesting "taxi and clearance to Emporia." Farmington ATCT cleared the airplane for taxi. At 1600 mdt, on reaching the run-up area, the Farmington ATCT issued the pilot clearance to Emporia, Kansas, via direct as filed, and to climb and maintain 17,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot read back the clearance and reported ready for takeoff. At 1601 mdt, Farmington ATCT cleared the airplane for takeoff without delay. The pilot departed after acknowledging the clearance.

At 1854 cdt, the pilot contacted the Wichita, Kansas FSS, and requested the current weather from Dodge City, Kansas, to Emporia. The Enroute Flight Advisory Specialist at Wichita FSS told the pilot "the Emporia sequence is a special. At forty-one past the hour, they [Emporia] were showing 800 overcast, visibility 10 miles." The pilot confirmed the ceiling and visibility with the Flight Advisory Specialist and then asked if Emporia was reporting any rain. The response was "negative."

At 1919:11 cdt, the pilot checked in with Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Sector 66, and reported that he was level at 11,000 feet msl.

At 1941:07 cdt, Kansas City ARTCC directed the pilot to descend to 5,000 feet msl.

At 1943:57 cdt, Kansas City ARTCC informed the pilot that the weather at Emporia, Kansas was winds at 180 degrees magnetic at 13 knots with gusts to 16 knots; visibility 10 miles; ceiling 600 feet above ground level (agl), and an altimeter setting of 29.68 inches of mercury.

At 1946:29 cdt, Kansas City ARTCC Sector 66 instructed the pilot to contact Kansas City ARTCC on another frequency. The pilot acknowledged by reading back the frequency.

At 1946:42 cdt, the pilot checked in with Kansas City ARTCC Sector 48, and reported that he was "descending down through 6,500 [feet msl]." Sector 48 instructed the pilot to maintain 5,000 feet msl, "I have an aircraft that's going to depart Emporia in about one more minute, and I'll get him outta your way, and I'll have a clearance for what you like, the VOR alfa?" The pilot responded, "VOR alfa."

At 1950:13 cdt, Sector 48 said, "Three zero five romeo juliet, you can go ahead and start executing the approach, maintain 5,000 [feet msl], once I get that other aircraft in radar, I'll have lower for you."

At 1951:01 cdt, Sector 48 cleared the pilot for the VOR alfa approach into Emporia Municipal Airport, "maintain three thousand two hundred [feet msl] 'til established, report established please." The pilot acknowledged.

At 1954:10 cdt, Sector 48 said, "Three zero five romeo juliet, radar contact is lost. You can change to advisory frequency and report cancellation on this frequency. I can talk to you on the ground." The pilot responded, "Five romeo juliet, thanks."

At 2002:25 cdt, the pilot contacted Kansas City ARTCC Sector 48 and reported that he was on the missed approach. Sector 48 asked the pilot if he wanted to execute the missed approach and try again? The pilot responded, "yeah we're executing missed approach and try again." Sector 48 told the pilot that on reaching 3,200 [feet msl] he was cleared for the VOR alfa approach again and to report when he was established on the approach. The pilot responded, "report established, roger."

At 2014:44 cdt, the pilot reported that he was established inbound on the VOR approach into Emporia. Sector 48 said, "Go over to advisory [frequency] and report cancellation on this frequency. If not, come back up on missed approach."

The pilot responded," Okay, we'll go ahead and cancel IFR right now."

Sector 48 said, "Roger, IFR canceled, squawk VFR, and [I'll] talk to you later." The pilot said, "Okay, thanks."

At 2017 cdt, The Lyon County, Kansas Sheriff's Department dispatcher received a report of a fire and explosion in the 1100 block of County Road J.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to his logbook, the pilot had 676.6 total flight hours, 119.3 hours in the M-20K. As of September 8, 1997, the pilot had accumulated 44.1 hours of actual instrument time.

The pilot completed a biennial flight review on October 31, 1996, and an instrument competency check flight on January 20, 1997.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot and his wife, and used for business and pleasure.

The airplane was manufactured in 1981. The airplane was originally registered as N11486. On July 1, 1984, the airplane was purchased and delivered to Canada. The airplane was operated for 14 years under the Canadian registration letters C-GCYM. The airplane was purchased by the pilot on October 1, 1996.

On October 3, 1996, the airplane was delivered to Rocket Engineering Corporation, Spokane, Washington, to be modified under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) number SA5691NM and number SA00243SE, installing a Continental TSIO-520-NB engine on the airplane, and increasing the gross weight of the airplane to 3,200 pounds for takeoff. The airplane was registered to the pilot and his wife on November 14, 1997, as N305RJ. The airplane was declared airworthy and returned to service on November 15, 1997. The airplane underwent a 100 hour inspection on January 7, 1997. The FAA issued a standard airworthiness certificate for the airplane on January 9, 1997.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1953 cdt, the Emporia Municipal Airport Automated Aviation Routine Weather Reporting Station (METAR) reported winds of 160 degrees magnetic at seven knots, visibility 6 miles with light rain and fog, and ceilings of 600 feet agl broken, and 7,500 feet agl overcast.

A pilot for United Parcel Service (UPS), who had departed the Emporia Municipal Airport at approximately 2000 cdt, described the weather as "marginal, a ceiling of around 700 feet agl," and the visibility as being 6 to 7 miles. The UPS pilot could not recall if there were any rain or fog in the area at the time he departed.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

The airplane was equipped with a VOR receiver and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). The pilot also had on board the airplane a hand-held Global Positioning Satellite receiver, which was recovered at the accident site, and found to be in good working order.

Emporia Municipal Airport has a published VOR or GPS-A approach. Circling minimums required for a category "A" aircraft to fly the approach is a ceiling of 500 feet agl and a visibility of 1 mile.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The NTSB on scene investigation began on October 24, 1997, at 1237 central daylight time (cdt).

The accident site was located in a cow pasture, 4 miles south of Emporia, Kansas, approximately 1,056 feet east of Lyon County Road J, a north-south running gravel road. Examination of the accident site revealed a series of three ground scars beginning at the top of a shallow hill and proceeding downhill along a 189- degree magnetic heading to a gully, at the base of the hill, where the main airplane wreckage came to rest. The first ground scar was 426 feet north of an east-west running barbed-wire fence, marking the beginning of the main wreckage. The scar was nine feet long and 12 inches wide. Several small pieces of clear plexiglass were found at the beginning of the scar. Small pieces of red glass corresponding to the left wing's position light, and white fiberglass were observed along the length of the scar. The second ground scar began 418 feet from the main wreckage. The scar was 42 feet long and 17 inches at its widest point. Several small pieces of metal were found embedded in the ground near the scar's mid-point. A 6-inch piece of 1/8-inch diameter metal tubing with a blue "b-nut" fitting was found near the south edge of the ground scar. The third ground scar began 372 feet from the main wreckage. It was 30 feet long, 5 feet at its widest point, and 11 inches deep. A 20 foot long, 15 foot wide spray of earth was observed fanning outward from the south end of the ground scar along a 140-degree magnetic heading. Several pieces of metal skin, fiberglass and parts from the oil pan were observed throughout this area. Streaks of oil were observed in the grass, beginning in this area and continuing down the hill along the 189-degree magnetic heading. Three propeller strikes were observed in the south one-third of the ground scar running 40-degrees north of a lateral line. The strikes were approximately 8 to 15 inches in length and spaced approximately 15 inches apart.

The right wing tip was intact and located appro...