- Date
- December 26, 1984, 17:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5681KMooney M20J
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841226068069A
- Case key
- 21521
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The non-instrument rated plt obtained a wx briefing & filed an IFR flt plan although poor wx conditions existed (200 ft ceiling & one-half mi visibility) at San Antonio. The tower instructions to N5681K were to fly rwy heading (120 deg) after departure, however, when the acft made a left turn after takeoff, the acft was instructed to turn rt to a heading of 180 deg. The plt acknowledged the heading change but did not comply with the instructions. This was the last contact with the plt. During the investigation a computer-generated ground track revealed a left turn of 495 deg, followed by rt turn of 45 deg which was held for about one-half min & then another rt turn of about 50 deg before disappearing from radar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5681K
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1398
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John M. Mcilvoy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 21, 1983
- Destination
- T02 · Laporte, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.