Fatal Icing Encounter Sends Mooney Into Unrecoverable Spiral

Kirk Franks had just bought his Mooney M20M Bravo after a six-year break from flying. On the morning of October 28, 2021, he filed an IFR flight plan from Arlington, Washington, to Twin Falls, Idaho — and flew directly into the kind of icing encounter that gives even experienced turbocharged-Mooney pilots very little room to recover.

Accident Facts

A Weather Briefing With a Warning Already in It

Before departure, Franks received a weather briefing that flagged icing conditions along his planned route. He filed IFR anyway and departed Arlington Municipal Airport at about 8:42 a.m., climbing toward the Cascades on a route that would take him near Snoqualmie Pass.

Climbing Toward the Ice, Not Away From It

As the Mooney climbed, air traffic control advised Franks of multiple pilot reports of icing between 12,000 and 18,000 feet — precisely the altitude band he was climbing through. Controllers offered him 19,000 feet to try to get above the icing layer. Franks accepted.

He never reached it. While climbing through approximately 16,300 feet, the aircraft suddenly entered a rapid, descending spiral.

The Radio Told the Story

Franks's transmissions became unreadable as the spiral developed. Another pilot in the area relayed that he had reported being out of control. Radar contact was lost shortly after. The aircraft descended from 16,300 feet through 11,300 feet with erratic turns before radar and radio contact ended near Snoqualmie, over mountainous terrain roughly 47 miles southeast of Arlington.

What Investigators Ruled Out

Investigators found no evidence of a mechanical failure that could explain the loss of control. The airframe, engine, and flight controls showed nothing that would have prevented normal flight. That absence of a mechanical explanation, combined with the icing PIREPs and the altitude at which the upset began, pointed the investigation toward the airplane itself rather than a broken part.

A Prohibition the Aircraft Manual Was Explicit About

The Mooney's flight manual specifically prohibited intentional flight into known icing conditions. Franks had accepted a climb into an altitude band where other pilots were actively reporting ice. Investigators also noted that his logbook contained no record of a recent instrument proficiency check — a gap that may have affected his ability to manage the emergency once the airplane began to depart controlled flight.

The Six-Year Gap

Franks had recently returned to flying after six years away from the cockpit, and had just purchased the Bravo. A turbocharged, pressurized Mooney at altitude in icing conditions is a demanding combination for any pilot; for one returning to instrument flying after a long layoff, the margin for a rapid, unexpected upset narrows further.

The NTSB's Conclusion

The investigation concluded that the aircraft most likely encountered severe structural icing, leading to a loss of control and collision with terrain.

Sources

• Video source (ATC/audio reconstruction)