- Date
- October 7, 1990, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kissimmee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1389WMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901007047279A
- Case key
- 32732
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
Malfunction of both magnetos due to deterioration of the coils, failure of maintenance personnel to comply with an airworthiness directive, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate visual lookout while on an approach for an emergency landing. Factors related to the accident were: the obstruction (tree) in the emergency landing area, and diversion of the pilot's attention while approaching to land.
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 plt rprtd the eng started & ran normally before takeoff. However, during flt, it began running rough. The plt reduced the power setting which initially eliminated the eng roughness. He checked each magneto & noted no malfunction; however, while diverting to a nearby arpt, the eng again began running rough & a severe loss of power occurred. According to witnesses, the acft struck a palm tree during a left descending turn at low altitude & crashed. The eng was equipped with bendix model S4LN-200 series magnetos. During a bench check both magnetos began misfiring after about 15 to 20 min of opn. Disassembly of the magnetos revealed the nonconductive material in the coils was cracked & was beginning to liquefy; this resulted in misdirection of the high voltage spark. The magnetos had aprx 2316 hrs in svc. According to AD 73-07-04, the coils in the magnetos of this acft should have been replaced after accumulating aprx 2000 hrs of opn. The acft had flown 11 hrs since the last annual inspn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1389W
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2667
- Airframe hours
- 2,316
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L. G. & P. W. Blendermann
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 1990 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- SUA · Stuart, FL
- Destination
- TOC · Toccoa, GA
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 581 total · 581 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 12 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.