20000109005729A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20M · Mount Pleasant, SC · January 9, 2000

Date: January 9, 2000 · 19:00 local
Place: Mount Pleasant, SC
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N2135X
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA00FA066
Reported as: Mooney M20M
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540AF1B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 537 total316 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

N2135XRegistration cancelled Jul 11, 2001 · Mooney M20MS/N 27-0237 Airframe modelMooney M20M

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) The pilot was cleared for a night instrument approach in instrument conditions. A witness who was waiting for the pilot at the airport heard the airplane fly over the airport flying towards a residential area, but could not see the airplane due to fog. Witnesses in the residential area observed the airplane descend out of the fog, pull up about 40-degrees, and reenter the fog in a steep left bank with slow airspeed. The airplane was observed descending out of the fog in a 70-degree left bank. An increase in engine power was heard, the airplane disappeared from view and was heard to impact water and a marshy area. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Toxicology results revealed the pilot was impaired due to drugs. (-23)no narrative

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A NIGHT INSTRUMENT APPROACH IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS. A WITNESS WHO WAS WAITING FOR THE PILOT AT THE AIRPORT HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLY OVER THE AIRPORT FLYING TOWARDS A RESIDENTIAL AREA, BUT COULD NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO FOG. WITNESSES IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCEND OUT OF THE FOG, PULL UP ABOUT 40-DEGREES, AND REENTER THE FOG IN A STEEP LEFT BANK WITH SLOW AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING OUT OF THE FOG IN A 70-DEGREE LEFT BANK. AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER WAS HEARD, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW AND WAS HEARD TO IMPACT WATER AND A MARSHY AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND ACCESSORIES REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. TOXICOLOGY RESULTS REVEALED THE PILOT WAS IMPAIRED DUE TO DRUGS. (-23)NO NARRATIVE

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA00FA066Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportMount Pleasant, SCThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuv ering on a night instrument approach in instrument conditions. This resulted in an inadvertent in-flight loss of control (stall/spin), and subsequent in-flight collision with a swamp. Contributing to…Jan 10, 2000 · Destroyed