ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37459
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| Date: | Saturday 27 May 1989 |
| Time: | 02:28 |
| Type: |  Mooney M20J |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N3201U |
| MSN: | 24-0570 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1626 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Big Pine Key, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fort Lauderdale, FL (FXE) |
| Key West, FL (EYW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PLT & PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A LATE NIGHT FLT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT APPARENT INCIDENT UNTIL THE ACFT WAS IN AN OVERWATER DESCENT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE DESCENT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 0223 EDT, WHEN THE ACFT WAS APRX 34 MI NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ACFT'S HEADING BEGAN TO CONSTANTLY CHANGE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FLT MANEUVERING IN CLIMBS & DESCENTS OVER A 4 MI AREA. AFTER MANEUVERING ABOUT 4 MIN, CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST, AND SEARCH & RESCUE EFFORTS WERE INITIATED. AT 0655 EDT, AN OIL SLICK WAS FND IN THE VCNTY OF THE ACFT'S LAST KNOWN POSITION. AT ABOUT 0900 EDT, A COAST GUARD SHIP RECOVERED DEBRIS FROM THE ACFT, BUT THE ACFT'S MAIN WRECKAGE & THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT FOUND. THE ACFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED OR DROWNED. THE WX AT KEY WEST WAS IN PART: 1500' SCATTERED, VIS 6 MI WITH HAZE. THE WX AT THE ACDNT SITE WAS NOT VERIFIED. CAUSE: THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LIGHT CONDITIONS (DARK NIGHT) AND WEATHER (HAZE) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X28383
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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