20031004024899A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · Skull Valley, UT · October 4, 2003

Date: October 4, 2003
Place: Skull Valley, UT
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N201KM
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN04FA003
Reported as: Mooney M20J
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360A3B6
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N201KMRegistration cancelled Jun 8, 2004 · Mooney M20JS/N 24-0457 · Built 1978 Airframe modelMooney M20J Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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) 10/04/2003 At 1300 hours pilot vaughn kinder certificate #2738249, with 3 pax onboard were evaluating raptor nesting in a blm wilderness area and during the flight hit a mountain at 5300 feet. Controlled flight into terrain (cfit). The pilot and one pax were seriously injured, and the other 2 pax were fatalities.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) 10/04/2003 AT 1300 HOURS PILOT VAUGHN KINDER CERTIFICATE #2738249, WITH 3 PAX ONBOARD WERE EVALUATING RAPTOR NESTING IN A BLM WILDERNESS AREA AND DURING THE FLIGHT HIT A MOUNTAIN AT 5300 FEET. CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (CFIT). THE PILOT AND ONE PAX WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE OTHER 2 PAX WERE FATALITIES.

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 DEN04FA003Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportGrantsville, UTthe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual outlook during low level flight maneuvers that resulted in a collision with terrain. A contributing factor was the pilot's attention being diverted.Oct 4, 2003 · Destroyed