CHI03FA080

The aircraft departed controlled flight during cruise flight and impacted terrain. The flight was operating at night in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). While en route the pilot reported that the airplane was "in the soup" and he wanted to return to the departure airport. The controller cleared the pilot to climb to 7,000 feet msl and fly direct to the departure airport. The pilot confirmed the clearance and there were no additional radio transmissions received from the accident airplane. The aircraft impacted wooded terrain in a near vertical attitude. No pre-impact anomalies were found with the airframe, powerplant, propeller, or accessories.

History of flight

On March 9, 2003, around 2036 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20J, N201ZM, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain near Tower, Michigan. The airplane was operating at night in instrument meteorological conditions. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 while on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed the Oakland County International Airport (PTK), Pontiac, Michigan, at 1906.

The pilot contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Lansing Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at 1713 to obtain a weather briefing and file an IFR flight plan from PTK to Cheboygan County Airport (SLH), Cheboygan, Michigan. The briefer asked the pilot if he was planning on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The pilot replied, "No, I would like to go IFR and have you guys kind of watching me." The subsequent weather briefing included a synopsis of the current conditions, the forecast for the planned destination and for the Detroit area, an advisory for moderate turbulence below 8,000 feet mean sea level (msl), and the operational status of a military operations area. After the weather briefing the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from PTK to SLH.

At 1956:32 (hhmm:ss), the pilot established radio communications with Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and reported being level at 6,000 feet msl. At 2006:29, the pilot asked the controller, "yeah, um I can't see...the wingtip anymore. Do ah, you know where the tops are in this?" The controller replied, "no sir, I don't have any reports on the tops, would you like to try higher?" At 2006:43, the pilot responded, "I wonder if I should climb, uh um, maybe go up to eight?" The controller cleared the pilot to climb and maintain 8,000 feet msl. At 2012:58, the pilot reported being level at 8,000 feet msl.

At 2016:31, the pilot told the controller, "we were out of it for a little bit, but we're kind of back in some haze here at eight thousand, and uh although I do, I am able to pick up some lights uh, beneath me, so it's quite a light haze, ah go ahead and start bringing me down when, uh when it's time to start descending, I'm sixty-two nautical out of Cheboygan right now." The controller cleared the pilot to descend and maintain 5,000 feet msl.

At 2023:13, the controller asked the pilot if he had the current weather report for SLH. The pilot replied "negative" and the controller relayed the 2015 weather report:

Wind 330 degrees true at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots; visibility 3 statute miles (sm) with light snow; scattered clouds at 1,400 feet above ground level (agl), broken ceiling at 2,000 feet agl, overcast ceiling at 3,500 feet agl; temperature -14 degrees Celsius; dew point -18 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.96 inches-of-mercury.

At 2027:00, the pilot reported being level at 5,000 feet msl and the controller cleared him to descend to maintain 4,000 feet msl.

At 2028:22, the controller asked the pilot, "are you going to try for the visual there at Cheboygan, or do you want to setup for the approach?" The pilot replied, "we'll try for a visual and if we do a missed then we'll uh, come in on the approach." At 2028:34, the controller replied "roger" and the pilot stated "but we might land Pellston." The pilot was referring to Pellston Regional Airport (PLN), Pellston, Michigan, about 12.7 nautical miles (nm) west-southwest of SLH.

At 2030:59, the pilot reported being level at 4,000 feet msl. At 2033:11, the controller cleared the pilot to descend to maintain 3,000 feet msl. According to FAA aircraft radar track data, radar contact was lost at 2033:46. At that time the airplane was at 3,800 feet msl and 22.7 nm south-southeast of SLH. The radar facility's lower altitude coverage in this area was about 4,000 feet msl, according to Minneapolis ARTCC. At 2035:04, the controller told the pilot "radar contact lost."

At 2035:10, the pilot stated, "we're in the soup, and really can't see much here at all here, and uh you know I might do a u-turn and head back to Pontiac, ah this isn't an emergency mission here tonight." At 2035:25, the controller confirmed that the pilot wanted to return to PTK. The pilot replied, "I think it'd be best." At 2035:29, the controller stated, "okay Mooney one zulu mike, you are cleared to the Pontiac airport via direct, climb and maintain seven thousand, let me know what you'd like as a final." At 2035:38, the pilot replied, "zero one zulu mike."

There were no additional radio transmissions received from the accident airplane. Radar contact was never reestablished with N201ZM. At 2043:55, the controller began trying to hail N201ZM on the radio without success.

The wreckage was located approximately 3.7 nm north-northeast of the last known radar position and 19.5 nm south-southeast of SLH.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 60, held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot also had a single-engine sea airplane rating that was limited to private pilot privileges. FAA records indicate his last airman medical examination was completed on April 29, 2002, when he was issued a second-class medical certificate with the following restriction: "Must wear corrective lenses."

According to the pilot's flight logbook, he had a total flight time of 731.1 hours, of which 624.2 hours were as pilot-in-command (PIC). The pilot had logged 638.4 hours in single-engine land airplanes, 82.0 hours in single-engine sea airplanes, 10.2 hours in multi-engine land airplanes, and 0.5 hours in rotorcraft. He had accumulated 494.0 hours in the Mooney M20J airplane. The pilot's last flight review, as required by 14 CFR Part 61.56, was completed on October 31, 2001.

The following flight times were calculated from the pilot's flight logbooks:

The pilot had accumulated 15.1 flight hours in the past year, 13.9 hours during the prior 6 months, 4.0 hours during the past 90 days, and no hours during the previous 30 days. The pilot did not fly during the 24 hour period before the accident flight. The last flight logbook entry was dated January 8, 2003.

The pilot had accumulated 51.1 flight hours in actual IMC and 119.0 hours of simulated instrument conditions. He logged 1.8 hours in actual IMC and 2.8 hours of simulated time during the previous year. During the prior 6 months he accumulated 1.8 hours in actual IMC, 2.8 hours of simulated time, and logged 10 instrument approaches. The pilot completed an instrument proficiency check, as required by 14 CFR Part 61.57(d), on October 13, 2002.

The pilot had accumulated 147.1 flight hours during night conditions. During the previous 90 days he logged 0.6 hours at night and no hours during the prior 30 days.

Aircraft information

The accident airplane was a 1978 Mooney M20J, serial number 24-0522. The M20J is a low-wing airplane equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear, electrically actuated wing flaps, and a single reciprocating engine. The fuselage and empennage are of an all-metal semimonocoque construction. The full-cantilever wings are of an all-metal construction. The airplane is equipped with dual controls and two cockpit seats. The airplane can accommodate four occupants and has a certified maximum takeoff weight of 2,740 lbs.

The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on April 24, 1978, and was certified as a normal category airplane. The last annual inspection was completed on August 15, 2002, at a total service time of 2,150.1 hours. According to the aircraft maintenance logbooks, all applicable FAA Airworthiness Directives were complied with as of the last annual inspection. The altimeter, static system, automatic pressure altitude reporting