- Date
- March 17, 1982, 18:21 local (Mar 18, 1982, 02:21 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N231AMMooney M20K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820317004229A
- Case key
- 69750
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
After being cleared from 8000 feet down to 6000 feet the air traffic controller realized that the aircraft was in trouble when the mode c altitude indicated 3600 feet. He received no understandable response from the pilot when asked about altitude or heading. Radar contact was lost shortly afterward. During the preflight weather briefing from the albuquerque fss it was suggested that the pilot land short of his destination to obtain a weather update due to forecast icing and turbulence. The aircraft was found to have impacted at a near vertical angle with no forward travel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231AM
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0080
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360GB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald G. & Patricia J. Farhat
- Registered owner
- Donald G. & Patricia J. Farhat
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 900 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NKX, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.