Mooney M20J accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 20, 1998
On April 20, 1998 at about 2:23 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N40HL, was destroyed in an accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut (Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were dark night conditions, low ceilings, rain, and his decision to divert to an airport under instrument meteorological conditions when visual meteorological conditions existed at other airports.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1998 · about 2:23 am local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Connecticut · Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N40HL · registry record · serial 24-3318
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed Florida and made a fuel stop in Virginia. Later during a night precision instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to Farmingdale, New York, the airplane struck trees. The pilot executed a missed approach that did not comply with published procedures, and was then offered several alternate airports, some under visual meteorological conditions. The pilot chose a divert airport which was IMC, and for which he did not have the precision approach charts. The approach information was provided by air traffic control. During the approach, the pilot was advised by the tower controller that his landing lights could be seen over the approach end of the runway as the airplane was 'going back into the clouds.' The airplane was next observed well left of the runway. The pilot was asked his altitude and he responded '300 feet.' The tower controller gave the pilot a vector and told him to contact approach control, and the airplane disappeared into the clouds again. The airplane then exited the base of the clouds in a right descending turn and struck the ground. Weather conditions immediately before and after the accident at Bridgeport were reported in part as 400 foot overcast, rain and visibility of 2 to 3 miles. Radar data revealed erratic altitudes on the glideslope and during vectors. The accident airport did not have an approach lighting system to the precision approach runway. In January 1995, the Safety Board issued a recommendation to install an approach lighting system to that runway 'as soon as possible.'
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,412 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHF Newport News VA
- Destination: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 4,677 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 100° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 am from BDR
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.