# Accident 19991227036919A: Mooney M20K, Mcalester, OK, December 27, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 27, 1999, 06:10 local time - Place: Mcalester, OK - Airport: Mcalester Regionall Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.9194° N, 95.7598° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9194&lon=-95.7598&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5697N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5697N-2017-06-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K - Reported engine: CONT TSIO520NB - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 2,681 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW00FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00FA053) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991227036919A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 27, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 0610 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20K, N5697N, IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN 16 SOUTHEAST OF MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA, AFTER DEPARTING THE MCALESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO ALTUS, OKLAHOMA, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MCALESTER BETWEEN 0545 AND 0600. LOCAL AUTHORITIES, FAMILY MEMBERS, ACQUAINTANCES, AND WITNESSES REPORTED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC). THE PILOT WAS A MEDICAL DOCTOR (MD) AND OPERATED THE MCDANIEL MEDICAL CLINIC, AT MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA. HE WAS ALSO ON THE EMERGENCY ROOM (ER) STAFF AT THE JACKSON COUNTY MEDICAL HOSPITAL, ALTUS, OKLAHOMA, WHERE HE WORKED A 24 HOUR ER SHIFT FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS PER WEEK. FOLLOWING THE ER DUTY, THE PILOT WOULD REST BEFORE RETURNING VIA HIS AIRPLANE TO MCALESTER. ON DECEMBER 25, THE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY FLEW ON A ROUND TRIP FLIGHT TO ALTUS, OKLAHOMA. FOLLOWING THEIR ARR IVAL ABOUT MIDNIGHT AT MCALESTER, THE PILOT SLEPT 7 TO 8 HOURS. ON DECEMBER 26, 1999, THE PILOT WAS HOME WITH HIS FAMILY, AND THAT NIGHT HE SLEPT 6 TO 7 HOURS. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE PILOT DEPARTED HIS RESIDENCE BETWEEN 0515 AND 0530 TO GO TO THE AIRPORT FOR THE FLIGHT. TWO DEER HUNTERS, DRIVING THROUGH WATTS RANCH, NOTICED A "RED LIGHT AND ORANGE/YELLOW COLORED LIGHT WEAVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AT A SLOW PACE" APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 1 MILE HEIGHT IN THE SKY. THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED TO DESCEND STRAIGHT TOWARD THE GROUND. THE LIGHTS DISAPPEARED NEAR JACK FORK MOUNTAIN, THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING, AND THEN THERE WAS A BRIGHT FLASH. THE WITNESSES DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE. ANOTHER WITNESS, FROM INSIDE HIS RESIDENCE, HEARD THE "ENGINE STALLING AND REVVING AT LEAST 3 TIMES" AT AN ALTITUDE OF 300 TO 400 FEET ABOVE THE TREES. THIS WITNESS WENT OUTSIDE HIS HOME, HEARD THE IMPACT AND SAW A "FIREBALL." THESE WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. AN AIR AND GROUND SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED LATER THAT MORNING AT NORTH 34.41.22 DEGREES; WEST 095.31.78 DEGREES ALONG THE NORTHERN RIDGE OF JACK FORK MOUNTAIN IN HEAVILY WOODED A ND ROCKY TERRAIN. THE WITNESSES REPORTED CALM WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES. MCALESTER FLIGHT SERVICE STATION PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE FLIGHT. AT 0553 THE SURFACE OBSERVATION AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 37.4 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 30.20 INCHES MERCURY. THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY SUNRISE FOR MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA, WAS AT 0729. PILOT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 2,239.8 HOURS AS OF JULY 1998. HE FLEW THE AIRCRAFT 341.5 HOURS IN 1998 WITH THE MAJORITY OF HIS FLIGHTS BETWEEN MCALESTER AND ALTUS, OKLAHOMA. THE NTSB IIC WAS INFORMED THAT THE PILOT'S CURRENT LOGBOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AIRPLANE. THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT LOCATED AND IS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. THE IIC EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT SITE, APPROXIMATELY 16 NAUTICAL MILES ON THE 122 DEGREE RADIAL OF THE MCALESTER VOR. THE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH WAS ON A MEASURED MAGNETIC HEADING OF 230 DEGREES AND EXTENDED FOR 147 FEET TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE. PORTIONS OF WING SKIN WERE FOUND 57 FEET BEYOND THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WAS IN 15 TO 20 FEET TALL TREES WHERE NUMEROU S PORTIONS OF WINGS, AILERONS, SPARS, AND FLAPS WERE FOUND DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE BASE OF THE TREES WHICH HAD NEWLY BROKEN BRANCHES. AT 62 FEET FROM THE INITIAL TREE, A PIECE OF AIRFRAME METAL WAS STUCK INTO A TREE TRUNK AT 18 FEET AGL. THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT CRATER (4 FEET BY 8 FEET BY 2 FEET) WAS FOUND 93 FEET FROM THE INITIAL TREE. PORTIONS OF ENGINE BAFFLING WERE FOUND IN THE CRATER. PART OF THE FLAPS, ONE PROPELLER BLADE, AND PIECES OF THE GREEN NAVIGATION LENS [RIGHT WING] WERE FOUND NEAR THE PERIPHERY OF THE CRATER. THE LEFT WING SPEED BRAKE WAS FOUND STOWED, AND THE RIGHT WING SPEED BRAKE WAS FOUND DEPLOYED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED TO THE RUDDER AND ELEVATORS. DEFORMATION AND FIRE DESTRUCTION PRECLUDED A DETERMINATION OF CONTINUITY FOR THE AILERONS AND THE FLAPS. THE COCKPIT AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE DESTROYED. NO EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE WAS FOUND. FOLLOWING THE ON SCENE EXAMINATION, THE WRECKAGE WAS RELEASED FOR RECOVERY TO AIR SALVAGE OF DALLAS, LANCASTER, TEXAS, FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION BY THE IIC. (-23) ON DECEMBER 27, 1999, AT APPROX. 0605 CENTRAL TIME, A MOONEY M20K, N5697N, IMPACTED TERRAIN 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MCALESTER, OK. AFTER DEPARTING MCALESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE A/C WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AND WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING ON DECEMBER 27, 1999, AT APPROX. 0530 FROM MCALESTER FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. ON SITE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE A/C WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH ON A HEADING OF 230 DEGREES. WRECKAGE EXTENDED 275 FEET FROM THE FIRST IMPACT WITH TREES. THE FIRST GROUND IMPACT WAS 67 FEET FROM THE FIRST IMPACT WITH TREES. THT LEFT WING WAS DESTROYED. THE LEFT SPEED BRAKE WAS FOUND INTACT IN THE STOWED POSITION; THE RIGHT SPEED BRAKE WAS FOUND IN A SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING, DEPLOYED AND BENT AFT. (.4)ON DECEMBER 27, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 0610 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20K, N5697N, IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN EAST/SOUTHEAST OF THE MCALESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AIRMED, INC., OF MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 COD E OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PLANNED CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED FROM THE MCALESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT, MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA, APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT'S INTENDED DESTINATION WAS ALTUS, OKLAHOMA, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE BUSINESS FLIGHT. LOCAL AUTHORITIES, FAMILY MEMBERS, ACQUAINTANCES, AND WITNESSES REPORTED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC). THE PILOT WAS A MEDICAL DOCTOR (MD) AND OPERATED THE MCDANIEL MEDICAL CLINIC, AT MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA. HE WAS ALSO ON THE EMERGENCY ROOM (ER) STAFF AT THE JACKSON COUNTY MEDICAL HOSPITAL, ALTUS, OKLAHOMA, WHERE HE WORKED A 24-HOUR ER SHIFT FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS PER WEEK. FOLLOWING THE ER DUTY, THE PILOT WOULD REST BEFORE RETURNING VIA HIS AIRPLANE TO MCALESTER. ON DECEMBER 25, THE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY FLEW ON A ROUND TRIP FLIGHT TO ALTUS, OKLAHOMA. FOLLOWING THEIR ARRIVAL ABOUT MIDNIGHT AT MCALESTER, THE PILOT SLEPT 7 TO 8 HOURS. ON DECEMBER 26, 1999, THE PILOT WAS HOME WITH HIS FAMILY, AND THAT NIGHT HE SLEPT 6 TO 7 HOURS. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE PILOT DEPARTED HIS RESIDENCE APPROXIMATELY 0530 TO GO TO THE AIRPORT FOR THE FLIGHT. TWO DEER HUNTERS, DRIVING THROUGH WATTS RANCH, NOTICED A "RED LIGHT AND ORANGE/YELLOW COLORED LIGHT WEAVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AT A SLOW PACE" APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 1 MILE HEIGHT IN THE SKY. THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED TO DESCEND STRAIGHT TOWARD THE GROUND. THE LIGHTS DISAPPEARED NEAR JACK FORK MOUNTAIN, THE ENGINE STARTED "REVVING", AND THEN THERE WAS A BRIGHT FLASH. THE WITNESSES DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE. ANOTHER WITNESS, FROM INSIDE HIS RESIDENCE, "HEARD THE ENGINE STALLING AND REVVING AT LEAST 3 TIMES" AT AN ALTITUDE OF 300 TO 400 FEET ABOVE THE TREES. THIS WITNESS WENT OUTSIDE HIS HOME, HEARD THE IMPACT AND SAW A "FIREBALL." THESE WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. AN AIR AND GROUND SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED LATER THAT MORNING AT NORTH 34.41.22 DEGREES; WEST 095.31.78 DEGREES ALONG THE NORTHERN RIDGE OF JACK FORK MOUNTAIN IN HEAVILY WOODED AND ROCKY TERRAIN. ## 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 FTW00FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00FA053), Dec 27, 1999: Mooney M20K (N5697N), Mcalester, OK, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors were the pilot's impairment (drugs), the deployed right speed brake, and the night conditions. 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.