Mooney M20C accident near Irving, New York, March 22, 1999
On March 22, 1999 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N5878Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Irving, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was the pilot's intentional flight into known icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1999 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Irving, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5878Q · no longer on the register · serial 3147
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a VFR flight with IMC and icing conditions forecast and reported along his route of flight. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan en route and entered IMC conditions. Shortly thereafter, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power that could not be corrected by application of carburetor heat. The pilot reported a loss of cabin heat at the onset of the emergency. Cabin heat was drawn from the same source as carburetor heat, upstream of the carburetor. An AIRMET for icing issued prior to departure called for: Light to occasional moderate rime icing in-clouds below 8,000 feet. Conditions continuing beyond 1600 through 2200. A National Weather Service Area Forecast issued for the route of flight was for overcast ceilings at 2,000 to 3,000 feet with tops to 12,000 feet, occasional light snow showers. Weather reported 10 miles southeast of the accident site, was: few clouds at 200 feet with a broken ceiling of 700 feet and an overcast ceiling at 1,100 feet. Visibility was 1/4 mile in light snow and freezing fog. The winds were from 250 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 31 knots. The airplane was not equipped with de-icing or anti-icing equipment.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,496 hours in all; 692 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,470 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,046 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AID (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDW Caldwell NJ at 5:38 pm
- Destination: PHN Port Huron MI
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 23 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; scat at 200 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DKK, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.