Mooney M20F accident near Mchenry, Maryland, March 27, 1982
On March 27, 1982, a Mooney M20F, registered N6896V, was destroyed in an accident near Mchenry, Maryland (Garrett County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1982
- Place
- Mchenry, Maryland · Garrett County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6896V · no longer on the register · serial 22-1283
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0635 THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING WHICH INCLUDED FORECASTED ICING CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLT. AT 1215 RECEIVED AN UPDATED BRIEFING & WAS INFORMED THAT IMC EXISTED ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLT & VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. AT 1536 HE CALLED & RECEIVED THE ST. LOUIS, MO HOURLY WX. AT 1648 HE FILED A VFR FLT PLAN & INDICATED HE DID NOT NEED A WX BRIEFING SINCE HE HAD MONITORED THE WX THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HE WAS HOWEVER PROVIDED SIGMENT ECHO 3. THE PLT DEPARTED WILMINGTON AT APPROXIMATELY 1805. AT APPROXIMATELY 1945 THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT A LOW ALTITUDE IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. THE WITNESS STATED THERE WAS A HEAVY SNOWFALL.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 225 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 163 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,989 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 153 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ILG Wilmington DE at 6:08 pm
- Destination: CVG Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from MGW, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.