Mooney M20C accident near Deridder, Louisiana, December 25, 1992
On December 25, 1992 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6878N, was destroyed in an accident near Deridder, Louisiana (Deridder airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE IN IMC. A FACTOR WAS HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1992 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Deridder, Louisiana · Deridder · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6878N · no longer on the register · serial 680153
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE FLEW APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS CROSS COUNTRY IN IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN OR CONTACTING ATC. THE BURNING WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN A FIELD UNDER THE MISSED APPROACH FLIGHT PATH NEAR THE UNCONTROLLED DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN, LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS 500 FEET OVERCAST WITH RESTRICTED VISIBILITY AND RAIN. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND IN THE AIRFRAME, POWERPLANT OR AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. AN INSTRUCTOR, WHO WAS A PART OWNER IN THE AIRPLANE AND HAD GIVEN THE PILOT HIS LAST BFR 30 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, STATED THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT CURRENT FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 580 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,850 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 22, 1992; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3R5 New Braunfels TX at 8:00 pm
- Destination: DRI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from PLK, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.