What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft struck ground approx. 1/4 mile from aiport during a night take off. (.4) history of flight: on July 30, 2000, about 2400 hours mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E, N5853Q, collided with terrain about 1 minute after departure from Jackpot, Nevada. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot and the one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The personal flight was departing Jackpot en route to its home field of jerome, Idaho, about 48 nautical miles north of Jackpot. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. A witness at a casino about 2 miles away observed the airplane depart runway 15 and, from his angle, it appeared to climb above lights on top of a mountain. He watched the plane turn left toward the east, and several seconds later the airplane began to lose altitude. The airplane disappeared from sight; then he heard the engine RPM increase followed by a "crash sound." The first identified point of ground contact was at 41 degrees 58.297 west latitude and 114 degrees 38.883 minutes north longitude. A safety board computer program determined this was 0.52 miles from the airport on a magnetic bearing of 105 degrees. A sun and moon program determined there was zero percent illumination of the moon.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT STRUCK GROUND APPROX. 1/4 MILE FROM AIPORT DURING A NIGHT TAKE OFF. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON JULY 30, 2000, ABOUT 2400 HOURS MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20E, N5853Q, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER DEPARTURE FROM JACKPOT, NEVADA. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT AND THE ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES; THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING JACKPOT EN ROUTE TO ITS HOME FIELD OF JEROME, IDAHO, ABOUT 48 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF JACKPOT. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. A WITNESS AT A CASINO ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART RUNWAY 15 AND, FROM HIS ANGLE, IT APPEARED TO CLIMB ABOVE LIGHTS ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. HE WATCHED THE PLANE TURN LEFT TOWARD THE EAST, AND SEVERAL SECONDS LATER THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT; THEN HE HEARD THE ENGINE RPM INCREASE FOLLOWED BY A "CRASH SOUND." THE FIRST IDENTIFIED POINT OF GROUND CONTACT WAS AT 41 DEGREES 58.297 WEST LATITUDE AND 114 DEGREES 38.883 MINUTES NORTH LONGITUDE. A SAFETY BOARD COMPUTER PROGRAM DETERMINED THIS WAS 0.52 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT ON A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 105 DEGREES. A SUN AND MOON PROGRAM DETERMINED THERE WAS ZERO PERCENT ILLUMINATION OF THE MOON.
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 N5853Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.