Accident Mooney M20J N4224H,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35560
 
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Date:Sunday 14 November 1993
Time:02:26 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic M20P model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Mooney M20J
Owner/operator:Sherman, Lee A.
Registration: N4224H
MSN: 24-0669
Total airframe hrs:3005 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Seekonk, MA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Oakland Pontiac, MI
Destination airport:Providence, RI (KPVD)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
DURING A FOUR HOUR IFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, IN CRUISE, THE ENGINE'S DRY AIR VACUUM PUMP FAILED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO HIS FINAL DESTINATION, ABOUT 180 MILES AWAY, NAVIGATING BY HIS LORAN. THE PILOT WAS NOTIFIED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL THAT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION, IMC COULD NOT BE AVOIDED. THE PILOT STATED THAT IMC WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND HE CONTINUED THE FLIGHT. DURING A NO GYRO VECTOR APPROACH TO THE LOCALIZER IN IMC, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 1,900 FEET MSL, THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE DRY AIR VACUUM PUMP WAS EXAMINED. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE INPUT SHAFT OF THE PUMP WAS FACTURED PRIOR TO IMPACT.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AFTER THE ENGINE'S DRY AIR VACUUM PUMP FAILED AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRPLANE CONTROL DURING APPROACH. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DRY AIR VACUUM PUMP FAILURE.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: BFO94FA008
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB BFO94FA008

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
10-Apr-2024 10:06 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report]

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