# Incident 20020711024779I: Mooney M20M, Paducah, KY, July 11, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2002, 08:49 local time
- Place: Paducah, KY
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.0709° N, 88.6445° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Paducah, KY, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0709&lon=-88.6445&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9151X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9151X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20M (registry code 5870222, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20M
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 850 total, 300 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020711024779I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON JULY 11, 2002, AT 08:49 CDT, A MOONEY M20-M, N9151X, DEPARTED PADUCAH (PAH), KY ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT CLIMBED THROUGH AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 4,000'. THE PILOT ADVISED ATC HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS INSTRUMENTS AND THAT THE AUTOPILOT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE PILOT ADVISED HE WANTED TO RETURN TO PAH AND HE WAS CLEARED BACK TO PAH. HE ATTEMPTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AT PAH BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY EXECUTE THE APPROACH. THE CONTROLLER SUGGESTED TO GO TO BLYTHEVILLE (HKA), AR. THE PILOT FLEW TO HKA AND FOUND GOOD VFR WHERE HE LANDED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY HAD AVIONICS WORK PERFORMED ON IT AND THE PILOT HAD NOT CHECKED ALL THE AVIONICS SETTINGS BEFORE HE TOOK OFF. WHEN EQUIPMENT DID NOT WORK AS IT SHOULD HAVE HE BECAME CONFUSED AND ALLOWED THE A/C TO DEVIATE FROM ASSIGNED ALTITUDES AND HEADINGS. HE SUCCESSFULLY LANDED IN BLYTHVILLE, AR. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY THE PILOT/OWNER UNDER CFR PART 91. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT PAH AND VFR AT HKA AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. RE-EXAMINATION WAS SUCCESSFUL.

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.

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