# Accident 19980607012399A: Mooney M20A, Canyon Creek, MT, June 7, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 7, 1998, 09:45 local time
- Place: Canyon Creek, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.8707° N, 112.3194° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.8707&lon=-112.3194&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1048B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1048B-2016-08-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20A (registry code 5870204, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20A
- Reported engine: LYC O360A1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 153 total, 1 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98FA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA089) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980607012399A

## Narrative

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

BROKE UP IN FLIGHT WHEN VFR PILOT TRIED OPERATE IN IMC. INDICATES SPRIAL DIVE AND SUDDEN PULLUP. (.4)PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR HIS PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLIGHT.  THE SPECIALIST REPORTED LOW CEILINGS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION ALONG THE ROUTE, AND SUGGESTED A ROUTE OF FLIGHT AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THE PILOT FILED A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN FOR HIS ORIGINAL ROUTE.  APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION, THE PILOT CONTACTED AIR TRAFFIC AND ADVISED THAT HE NEEDED ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING AN AIRPORT THAT WAS CLEAR OF THE WEATHER, AS HE WAS ON TOP OF AN OVERCAST LAYER AND COULD NOT SEE THE GROUND.  THE CONTROLLER INFORMED THE PILOT OF THE MULTIPLE CLOUD LAYERS IN THE AREA AND TO REMAIN IN VISUAL CONDITIONS.  WITH THE AID OF OTHER PILOTS IN THE AREA WHO WERE REPORTING ACTUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE CONTROLLER WAS MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT TO AN AREA WHERE HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET BELOW THE OVERCAST LAYER.  WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT NOTIFIED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE SAW A HOLE AND WAS GOING TO TRY AND PUNCH THROUGH IT.  SHORTLY AFTER THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED OFF RADAR CONTACT AND T                                                     HERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE PILOT. EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE ACCIDNET SITE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BROKE-UP IN FLIGHT.  THE LOW-TIME, NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE AND HAD NOT RECEIVED THE CMOPLEX AIRCRAT SIGN-FF FOR SOLO OPERATION.                       (-23) AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN UP WHILE IN FLIGHT WHEN THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT ATTEMPTED TO OPERATE VISUALLY IN IMC.

## 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 SEA98FA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA089), Jun 7, 1998: Mooney M20A (N1048B), Canyon Creek, MT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The design stress limits of the aircraft was exceeded. The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, lack of an instrument rating, poor weather evaluation and low ceilings and mountain…

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.

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