ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 278885
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| Date: | Sunday 8 December 2019 |
| Time: | 14:00 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20C |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N5557Q |
| MSN: | 2967 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O&VO-360 SER |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Flower Pot, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Flagstaff-Pulliam Airport, AZ (FLG/KFLG) |
| Phoenix-Deer Valley Airport, AZ (DVT/KDVT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument rated private pilot received two separate weather briefings before departing on the accident flight. During both briefings, he was informed of an AIRMET for mountain obscuration along his intended route of flight. During the second briefing, he was also informed that there was an AIRMET for instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that included the intended route of flight. The pilot then departed on the cross-country flight and was witnessed flying at very low altitude below an overcast cloud layer. Witnesses captured photographs of the airplane as it flew over their car and stated that it appeared to be following the road. One of the photographs showed that the airplane was about 227 ft above the ground and showed low clouds and obscuration of the mountain peaks in the background. There were no witnesses to the accident. Radar track data ended about 23 miles from the accident site but showed the airplane flying between 250 and 1,600 ft above the terrain for the portions of the flight that were captured. Postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, propeller, and control system did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.
Based on the available evidence, the accident was the result of the pilot's decision to initiate the flight in poor weather conditions, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions. The non-instrument rated pilot was unable to maintain situational awareness, lost control of the airplane, and impacted the ground.
Probable Cause: The noninstrument-rated pilot's decision to initiate and continue the visual flight rules flight into an area of forecast instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of airplane control. Contributing was the pilot's lack of instrument flight experience.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN20FA034
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaHoQCkRMfc
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Jun-2022 08:38 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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