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20031228033009A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20F · Campobello, SC · December 28, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 28, 2003 · 13:10 local
Place
Campobello, SC
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2996L
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL04FA061
Reported as
Mooney M20F
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360LYC*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
3,770 total
N2996LRegistration cancelled Sep 29, 2014 · Mooney M20FS/N 670355 · Built 1967Airframe modelMooney M20FEngine 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) On December 28, 2003 at 1310 eastern standard time a Mooney-20-F, N2996L, registered to a private owner, operated by a friend, as a CFR part 91 personal flight, collided with trees and the ground while maneuvering in the vicinity of Campobello, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from petersburg, Ohio (OH29), on December 28, 2003 at 1015. Witnesses stated they heard an airplane approaching their location. They looked up and observed an airplane flying to the north between 100 to 200 feet above the trees. The engine revved up in power, decreased in power, and revved up again. Another witness stated the airplane engine was making a popping sound, while cutting in and out. The airplane was observed to make a steep right turn, and the right wing was perpendicular to the ground. The nose of the airplane went down and the airplane disappeared from view. A few seconds later they heard an impact sound as the airplane collided with the ground. They went inside and called 911. The accident on scene investigation revealed that there was no fuel or odor of fuel at the site.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 28, 2003 AT 1310 EASTERN STANDARD TIME A MOONEY-20-F, N2996L, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATED BY A FRIEND, AS A CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF CAMPOBELLO, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PETERSBURG, OHIO (OH29), ON DECEMBER 28, 2003 AT 1015. WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD AN AIRPLANE APPROACHING THEIR LOCATION. THEY LOOKED UP AND OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE FLYING TO THE NORTH BETWEEN 100 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES. THE ENGINE REVVED UP IN POWER, DECREASED IN POWER, AND REVVED UP AGAIN. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THE AIRPLANE ENGINE WAS MAKING A POPPING SOUND, WHILE CUTTING IN AND OUT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A STEEP RIGHT TURN, AND THE RIGHT WING WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WENT DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. A FEW SECONDS LATER THEY HEARD AN IMPACT SOUND AS THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THEY WENT INSIDE AND CALLED 911. THE ACCIDENT ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL OR ODOR OF FUEL AT THE SITE.

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 ATL04FA061Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCampobello, SCThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for an emergency landing resulting in an inadvertent stall and a collision with trees and the ground during an uncontrolled descent. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight…Dec 28, 2003 · Destroyed