20121217029279A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20F · Lee Vining, CA · December 17, 2012

Date: December 17, 2012 · 20:30 local
Place: Lee Vining, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9524M
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA312
Reported as: Mooney M20F
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N9524MRegistration cancelled Nov 25, 2014 · Mooney M20FS/N 670101 · Built 1966 Airframe modelMooney M20F 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.

Flight departed santa ynez at 1827 local time. Last radar hit was at 2030. Flight path was generaly direct until about 20 miles from the mammoth airport. The radar plot then shows the plane flew west about 20 miles and maneuvered in the area, presumedly to descend below cloud bases. The track then shows a path back to the east for about 20 miles where the radar track was lost. The plane was found in a rocky slope at the bottom of a small canyon. Nexrad depiction shows moderate precipitation in the area at the time of the crash.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT DEPARTED SANTA YNEZ AT 1827 LOCAL TIME. LAST RADAR HIT WAS AT 2030. FLIGHT PATH WAS GENERALY DIRECT UNTIL ABOUT 20 MILES FROM THE MAMMOTH AIRPORT. THE RADAR PLOT THEN SHOWS THE PLANE FLEW WEST ABOUT 20 MILES AND MANEUVERED IN THE AREA, PRESUMEDLY TO DESCEND BELOW CLOUD BASES. THE TRACK THEN SHOWS A PATH BACK TO THE EAST FOR ABOUT 20 MILES WHERE THE RADAR TRACK WAS LOST. THE PLANE WAS FOUND IN A ROCKY SLOPE AT THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL CANYON. NEXRAD DEPICTION SHOWS MODERATE PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.

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 WPR13FA312Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportYosemite Valley, CAThe pilot’s decision to continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain situational awareness and sufficient altitude to clear mountainous terrain.Dec 17, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9524M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20121217027849ACruise/Level Flight · Yosemite Nation, CAAlnot on 12/17 at 2309PST, missing aircraft reported. Aircraft departed santa ynez (kiza) to mammoth lakes (mmh), CA, no report from pilot, which became subject of family concern when he did not show up at the prescribed time. Last radar contact was near the…Dec 17, 2012 · Substantial damage · 1 fatal