- Date
- November 16, 1988, 18:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Holden, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1170ZMooney M20K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881116050979A
- Case key
- 36258
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
Inflight loss of control due to spatial disorientation and contact with trees prior to regaining control after the pilot experienced an unknown problem with the autopilot. Contributing was the lack of recent night experience.
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 acft made a night instrument departure with a maximum assigned altitude of 4,000 ft. the plt failed to follow his departure instructions concerning routing. He climbed to 4,600 ft and when queried, said he was having autopilot problems. A few minutes later, the acft disappeared from radar. The acft impacted a line of trees at a high speed and was extensively broken up. The wreckage was scattered over 450 ft. the autopilot problem was not identified due to the extent of impact damage; however, no problem was noted with the airframe or engine. The plt was current with instruments, but not for night flight. The acft pitot static system and transponder were both out of inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1170Z
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0704
- Airframe hours
- 1,783
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-LB1, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jules L. Levine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 5, 1988
- Departed
- ORH · Worcester, MA
- Destination
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
- 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 623 total · 206 in this make and model · 467 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH, 6 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.