# Accident 19960802020609A: Mooney M20K, Grand Canyon, AZ, August 2, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 2, 1996, 10:08 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0301° N, 112.0191° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0301&lon=-112.0191&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4634H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4634H-1999-11-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO360GB
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 1,364 total, 791 in this make and model, 46 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX96FA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96FA294) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960802020609A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS DEVIATING AROUND THUNDERSTORMS, RADAR CONTACT LOST, CRASHED. (.4)THE PILOT WAS DEVIATING FOR WEATHER AND REPORTED CUMULOUS BUILDUPS AND ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES WITH TOPS AT AND ABOVE HIS FLIGHT LEVEL.  RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT GROUND TRACK TURNING NORTH AS IT BEGAN AN UNANNOUNCED DESCENT.  THE DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT BREAK OUT OF THE OVERCAST, MAKING A SERIES OF RANDOM TURNS, CLIMBS, AND DIVES BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH THE CANYON WALL.  THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE CANYON WALL NEAR PIMA POINT.  THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED ALONG THE ROUTE SEVERAL HOURS SOONER THAN FORECAST. EXAMINATION OF RECORDED WEATHER RADAR DATA DISCLOSED THAT A LEVEL 6 THUNDERSTORM WITH TOPS TO 49,000 FEET WAS PRESENT AT THE LOCATION AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT REQUESTING OR RECEIVING UPDATED WEATHER INFORMATION AFTER HIS FINAL DUATS BRIEFING 4 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX96FA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96FA294), Aug 2, 1996: Mooney M20K (N4634H), Grand Canyon, AZ, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: due to an in-flight loss of control resulting from a probable incapacitation for unknown reasons. The loss of control occurred while the aircraft was being flown in close proximity to a level 6…

## Other reports on N4634H (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19920209003969I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920209003969I), Feb 9, 1992: Mooney M20K (N4634H), La Jolla, CA, Minor damage. Engine failed. Pilot elected to make forced landing at the glider Port.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.