- Date
- June 18, 2016, 13:28 local (18:28 UTC)
- Place
- Clifton, TN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3877HMooney M20
- Defining event
- Enroute-change of cruise level: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 93571
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight's encounter with unforecast extreme turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and structural damage.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was conducting a cross-country flight and flying in instrument meteorological conditions at 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) when the airplane encountered turbulence. While climbing to a higher altitude, he encountered extreme turbulence at 8,500 ft msl. The pilot lost control of the airplane, which entered an uncontrolled dive, and descended to 5,600 ft msl before he was able to regain control. The pilot subsequently landed without further incident. A postflight inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation; however, he stated that he may have overstressed the airplane during the recovery from the uncontrolled descent. A review of weather data revealed that there were no SIGMETs or AIRMETs for turbulence issued for the area of the accident around the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was conducting a cross-country flight and flying in instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude of 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) when the airplane encountered turbulence. While climbing to a higher altitude, he encountered extreme turbulence at 8,500 ft msl. The pilot lost control of the airplane, which entered an uncontrolled dive, and descended to 5,600 ft msl before he was able to regain control. The pilot subsequently landed without further incident. A post-flight inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation; however, he stated that he may have overstressed the airplane during the recovery from the uncontrolled descent. A review of weather data revealed that there were no SIGMETs or AIRMETs for turbulence issued for the area of the accident, around the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3877H
- Reported as
- Mooney M20 (J)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0972
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 7,548
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER A&C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2016
- Departed
- PAH · Paducah, KY
- Destination
- ECP · Panama City, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,446 total · 1,134 in this make and model · 1,443 as pilot in command · 14.8 in the last 90 days · 13.3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KMRC, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 11, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.