Mooney M20R accident near Summersville, West Virginia, December 7, 2006
On December 7, 2006 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Mooney M20R, registered N9165T, was destroyed in an accident near Summersville, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's encounter with in-flight icing, which resulted in a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's improper weather evaluation, the in-flight icing conditions, the reduced visibility from a snow squall during the forced landing, and terrain unsuitable for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 2006 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Summersville, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20R · all M20Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9165T · no longer on the register · serial 29-0060
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot contacted an Automated Flight Service Station to obtain a weather briefing and file an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan for 9,000 feet en route. The specialist advised the pilot that there was a weather front across his route of flight, and along the route, there were IFR conditions and moderate icing below 10,000 feet. The specialist also noted that later along the route, there would be another area of icing up to 22,000 feet. The pilot subsequently changed the en route altitude to 13,000 feet. About 1 hour, 20 minutes after departure, while the airplane was at 13,000 feet, and before reaching the area where the higher-altitude icing was predicted, the pilot reported "engine issues," and that he needed a "VFR airport." He then stated that he wanted to avoid ice, that he was not in icing, and that he was on top of the clouds. About 1 minute later, the pilot requested "lower right away" and was cleared to 7,000 feet. After the controller and pilot discussed available airports, the pilot stated that he thought he had "some ice in my engine." Several minutes later, the pilot stated that he needed a closer airport, and that he was "out of ice," but remained in instrument meteorological conditions. A few seconds after that, the pilot stated that he didn’t think he had any engine power. The controller attempted to vector the pilot to an airport, but eventually lost voice and radar contact. A farmer subsequently heard the airplane approach through a snow squall without power. The airplane then impacted hilly terrain, bounced, went through a fence, and burst into flames as it entered woods. Postaccident examinations indicated no engine power upon impact, and that the pilot had activated the manual alternate air control. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airframe; however, impact forces and fire damage precluded a thorough examination of the fuel system and fuel supply. The engine was later successfully run in an engine test cell. Although the airplane encountered in-flight icing in an area and at an altitude where it wasn't predicted, the pilot's route of flight would have eventually made in-flight icing unavoidable. The airplane was not approved for known icing.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,390 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,368 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OEB Coldwater MI at 4:30 pm
- Destination: RDU Raleigh NC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 23 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:41 pm from CRW, 35 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.