- Date
- October 3, 1990, 12:46 local (19:46 UTC)
- Place
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N231AXMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 6, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901003050229A
- Case key
- 26958
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 pilot's decision to operate the aircraft with a known discrepancy; inadequate maintenance procedures; and the pilot's inflight loss of control due to smoke and fumes in the cockpit.
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 pilot had returned from an earlier departure because he had smoke inside the airplane, and requested the assistance of a mechanic. Unable to obtain this assistance, he borrowed a pair of pliers from the FBO. After inspecting the airplane himself, he returned the pliers and commented something about the EGT probe to the line person on duty. Soon after the second departure, the airplane was seen returning towards the airport trailing smoke and possibly fire. The airplane rolled inverted and descended into trees. The airport manager responding to the accident scene located the exhaust tailpipe. The fractured turbo clamp was located at the wreckage. Metallurgical analysis revealed that cracking occurred as a result of intergranular corrosion. On 9/26/90 the turbocharger was removed, repaired and reinstalled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231AX
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0114
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-GB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Megill, Donald M.
- Destination
- UNK · Unknown
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,800 total · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FLG, 1 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.