20030902027889A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20K · Novato, CA · September 2, 2003

Date: September 2, 2003 · 05:44 local
Place: Novato, CA
Airport: Gnoss Field Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N252AK
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX03LA276
Reported as: Mooney M20K
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,700 total2,600 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N252AKRegistration cancelled Oct 10, 2003 · Mooney M20KS/N 25-1139 · Built 1987 Airframe modelMooney M20K Engine modelContinental TSIO-360 GBReciprocating

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.

(-23) Pilot stated that after rotation he had no visible horizon and no ground lights. He then engaged auto-pilot and noticed a decrease in the rate of climb followed by stall waning activation. The aircraft stalled to the left. Pilot was attempting to lower the nose of the aircraft and level the wings when the aircraft struck the trees.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT AFTER ROTATION HE HAD NO VISIBLE HORIZON AND NO GROUND LIGHTS. HE THEN ENGAGED AUTO-PILOT AND NOTICED A DECREASE IN THE RATE OF CLIMB FOLLOWED BY STALL WANING ACTIVATION. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED TO THE LEFT. PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LOWER THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LEVEL THE WINGS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREES.

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 LAX03LA276Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNovato, CAThe pilot's decision to attempt VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions during the dark early morning takeoff, which resulted in spatial disorientation and lead to a collision with trees off the departure end of the runway.Sep 2, 2003 · Substantial damage