LAX98LA059

The pilot tookoff for his destination after he had received a weather briefing that indicated the area was going to be marginal VFR with rain and snow showers. The pilot decided to try and make it through after spotting low lying clouds to the north of their intended route. He followed a paved road and thought he could remain clear of clouds. After he turned around a corner of a mountain he inadvertently entered the clouds. As he began a climbing left turn the aircraft hit a hill and small tree. The second pilot insisted they turn around three times, to no avail.

On December 20, 1997, at 0955 hours mountain standard time, a Mooney M20-F, N2965L collided with terrain following the inadvertent flight into a fog bank about 25 miles southwest of Safford, Arizona. The aircraft was destroyed during the impact sequence and subsequent postcrash fire. The pilot and pilot rated passenger both received serious injuries. The airplane departed Tucson International Airport at 0910 for a Pima County Sheriff's Office auxiliary flight to deliver food baskets to the needy at Safford.

The Graham County Sheriff's Office reported that when they arrived on-scene about 1115, it was raining slightly, with a heavy fog bank overlying the area and visibility was 20-30 feet. The sergeant reported two hunters that were camping in the area witnessed the airplane attempt to reverse course. They told the sheriff's office that the airplane entered the fog bank then heard it crash.

The first eyewitness report stated in part that the two hunters were sitting in a vehicle waiting for the "weather to open up," when the first hunter said he heard the sound of an airplane. At that moment, he said he saw a plane fly directly overhead, about 200 feet above the ground in dense fog. His partner stepped out of the vehicle and heard it hit the mountain. They then got on two ATV's and started up the mountain. The hunters stated it was starting to snow and that it was too foggy to see anything.

The pilot was interviewed at his hospital bed the evening of the crash. He stated that he was 25 percent owner of the accident aircraft. He further stated that there was nothing wrong with the engine or the airframe prior to the crash. He said he had called for a weather briefing at 0800 on the date of the accident. They had departed Tucson about 0910 en route to Safford. He stated that they flew out through Reddington Pass and got east of San Pedro when he noticed low lying clouds to the north, so they eased out to the south. He estimated his course at 048 degrees. He said when they got below Ft. Grant, the visibility was good. He then picked up the paved road (Highway 198) and started following it, and thought that they could stay clear of clouds. The pilot stated that they went around the corner of the mountain and "bingo" ran into the clouds. He said he started a climbing left turn and were in a nose up attitude when they hit a hill and subsequently a tree, which sheered off one wing. The pilot stated he was at the controls at the time of the crash.

The pilot rated passenger was interviewed by family members at the request of the NTSB. His wife said that her husband told the pilot to turn around three times and that he refused. Additionally, he stated that the pilot had told him that they would "take a look," and if the weather was bad they would fly to Willcox, Arizona. The pilot told him, "let's give it a try, I think we can make it." The passenger reported they descended and tried to get through the weather, and he told the pilot, "we are not going to get through." At this point, the pilot had a stern look on his face and the passenger felt like he was being tuned out of the communications loop.