What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On July 31, 1999, approximately 1030 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20F, N9390V, registered to and operated by the pilot was substantially damaged during takoff near Montrose, Colorado. The pirvate pilot, the sole occupant aboard, sustained a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight being opereated under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight was originating when the accident occurred. Preliminary information indicates that on July 28, 1999, the pilot was en route from evanston, Wyoming, to durango, Colorado. The cylinder head temperature gauge peaked and fearing engine damage, the pilot made a precautionary landing on a county road. A mechanic from a nearby airport was summoned. It was determined that there was nothing wrong with the engine but the gauge was displaying erroneous information. A ferry permit was obtained from faa's flight standards district office in salt lake city, Utah. The accident occurred when the pilot attempted to take off from the road. According to the mechanic who witnessed the accident, the pilot examined the roadway and determined he could safely depart. Traffic was halted in both directions. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's left wing struck a 4"X4" post supporting a speed limit sign. (-23) pilot performed a precautionary landing on a highway in Colorado due to a high cylinder head temperature reading while on a cross country flightfrom evanston, WY to durango co 07-29-99 and received a special flight permit from the slc FSDO to conduct a ferry flight for repairs to durango co. mechanic privacy data omitted went to the scene and performed engine inspection and concluded that the temperature gauge was malfunctioning. Engine checks were completed and engine seemed to be developing full power. When the preliminary maintenance was completed, mechanic advised the pilot/owner not to take off from the state highway that he had landed on but to use a smaller county road. Pilot conducted a takeoff zone check and stated "it was tight but I though it would be ok." During takeoff, pilot struck a road sign and crashed. Pilot was helicopter medevaced to gjt hospital for serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON JULY 31, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1030 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20F, N9390V, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKOFF NEAR MONTROSE, COLORADO. THE PIRVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT BEING OPEREATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT ON JULY 28, 1999, THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE FROM EVANSTON, WYOMING, TO DURANGO, COLORADO. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE GAUGE PEAKED AND FEARING ENGINE DAMAGE, THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A COUNTY ROAD. A MECHANIC FROM A NEARBY AIRPORT WAS SUMMONED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE BUT THE GAUGE WAS DISPLAYING ERRONEOUS INFORMATION. A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED FROM FAA'S FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF FROM THE ROAD. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT EXAMINED THE ROADWAY AND DETERMINED HE COULD SAFELY DEPART. TRAFFIC WAS HALTED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK A 4"X4" POST SUPPORTING A SPEED LIMIT SIGN. (-23) PILOT PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A HIGHWAY IN COLORADO DUE TO A HIGH CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE READING WHILE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHTFROM EVANSTON, WY TO DURANGO CO 07-29-99 AND RECEIVED A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT FROM THE SLC FSDO TO CONDUCT A FERRY FLIGHT FOR REPAIRS TO DURANGO CO. MECHANIC ^PRIVACY^ WENT TO THE SCENE AND PERFORMED ENGINE INSPECTION AND CONCLUDED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS MALFUNCTIONING. ENGINE CHECKS WERE COMPLETED AND ENGINE SEEMED TO BE DEVELOPING FULL POWER. WHEN THE PRELIMINARY MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED, MECHANIC ADVISED THE PILOT/OWNER NOT TO TAKE OFF FROM THE STATE HIGHWAY THAT HE HAD LANDED ON BUT TO USE A SMALLER COUNTY ROAD. PILOT CONDUCTED A TAKEOFF ZONE CHECK AND STATED "IT WAS TIGHT BUT I THOUGH IT WOULD BE OK." DURING TAKEOFF, PILOT STRUCK A ROAD SIGN AND CRASHED. PILOT WAS HELICOPTER MEDEVACED TO GJT HOSPITAL FOR SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9390V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.