# Accident 20010606016959A: Mooney M20J, Monroe, NC, June 6, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 6, 2001, 17:35 local time - Place: Monroe, NC - Airport: Monroe Airport - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0181° N, 80.6200° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0181&lon=-80.6200&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4780H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4780H-2002-02-02) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01FA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01FA151) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010606016959A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JUNE 6, 2001, ABOUT 1735 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AND MOONEY M20J, N4780H, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED IN MONROE, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT, AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1720. ACCORDING TO AN FAA OFFICIAL, THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, TO JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AND AT 1730:24, WHILE EN ROUTE, HE HAD INFORMED DEPARTURE CONTROL THAT HE WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, REQUESTING TO DIVERT TO AN AIRPORT THAT WAS CLOSE BY. THE OFFICIAL FURTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT WAS OFFERED THE OPTION TO DIVERT TO AN AIRPORT THAT WAS ABOUT 2 MILES BEHIND HIM, OR TO MONROE AIRPORT, WHICH WAS ABOUT 6 MILES AHEAD, WHICH HAD MORE SERVICES AVAILABLE. THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT THE PILOT CHOSE TO PROCEED TO THE MONROE AIRPORT, STATING THAT IT WAS NOT AN EMERGENCY YET. AT 1730:57, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT, AND ACCORDING TO THE OFFIC EAL, THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH, STATING THAT HE BELIEVED THAT RUNWAY 23 WAS IN USE, AND TELLING THE PILOT TO DESCEND AT HIS OWN DISCRETION. THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT THE PILOT THEN ACKNOWLEDGED THE COMMUNICATIONS TRANSMISSION SAYING, "ROGER TWO THREE," AND THAT WAS THE LAST RADIO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CONTROLLER AND THE PILOT. THE FAA OFFICIAL STATED THAT AT 1735:46, THE CREW OF A HAWKER CORPORATE JET, WHICH WAS DEPARTING FROM MONROE AIRPORT, REPORTED THAT N4780H HAD JUST CRASHED, AND THAT THERE WAS SMOKE AND FIRE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH. (-23) ON JUNE 6, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 1720 HOURS EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME MOONEY N4780H DEPARTED CLT INROUTE TO JACKSONVILLE, NC. ON BOARD WAS THE AIRCRAFT OWNER/PILOT GREGORY MARTIN RUSSELL AND TWO PASSENGERS. AT 1730:24, N4780H INFORMED CLT ATC HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND NEEDED TO GET DOWN AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOT OF N4780H DECIDED TO LAND AT THE MONROE, NC (EQY) AIRPORT RUNWAY 23. ACCORDING TO EYE WITNESS REPORTS THE ABOVE ACFT. WAS MAKING ODD MANEUVERS LEFT ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 23. THE ACFT. DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE LINE AND REAPPEARED IN A NOS E HIGH ATTITUDE AND THEN DESCENDED AGAIN. BLACK SMOKE WAS OBSERVED BY THE WITNESSES. SEE ENCLOSED STATEMENTS AND REPORTS. ## 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 MIA01FA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01FA151), Jun 6, 2001: Mooney M-20J (N4780H), Monroe, NC, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot in command’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering to avoid objects, resulting in a stall/mush and collision with the terrain during uncontrolled descent. Contributing to the… ## Other reports on N4780H (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19940325006629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940325006629A), Mar 25, 1994: Mooney M20J (N4780H), Muscle Shoals, AL, Substantial damage. Observed long takeoff roll and low power. Tried return but crashed short. Lose throttle cable. Just out of annual. 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.