- Date
- April 13, 1990, 14:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Carson City, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N231NBMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900413008839A
- Case key
- 41104
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 failed to maintain airspeed during takeoff. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.
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
Witnesses reported that the pilot took off on runway 27, and was on initial climb at 200-300 ft above the runway, when the aircraft abruptly rolled left into an inverted attitude and impact the ground. Density altitude was computed as 7,057 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231NB
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M20K25-0319
- Airframe hours
- 890
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-GB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Max D. Hyden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1989 · 245 hours before
- Destination
- 4TA · Truckee, CA
- Airport
- 004 · Carson City, runway 27, 5,900 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 73 in this make and model · 198 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 18 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.