Mooney M20 Safety Record

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE MALFUNCTION OF A GYRO INSTRUMENT (PROBABLY THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR).

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE SPEED OF THE AIRPLANE TO GET TOO SLOW, RESULTING IN AN INADVERTANT STALL AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO ALLOW RECOVERY. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S TREPIDATION ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL LANDING BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT RESULTING IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CONDITION.

FAILURE OF THE PISTON RINGS WHICH REDUCED THE AVAILABLE ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED OPERATION OF HIS AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN ENGINE DEFICIENCY DURING THE RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VSO (MINIMUM CONTROLLABLE AIRSPEED) IN A LANDING CONFIGURATION. AN ASSOCIATED FACTOR IS THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR FORCED LANDING.

INTERGRANULAR CRACKING (FATIGUE) FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST CLAMP, WHICH RESULTED IN A DISCONNECTED EXHAUST MANIFOLD (TAILPIPE), AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

THE AIRPLANE'S GROUND COLLISION WITH AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON WHO WAS LOCATED ON THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS RELATED TO THE NIGHTTIME (LIGHT) CONDITION WHICH LIMITED THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO SEE THE PERSON PRIOR TO THE IMPACT.

MALFUNCTION OF BOTH MAGNETOS DUE TO DETERIORATION OF THE COILS, FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO COMPLY WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT WHILE ON AN APPROACH FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE OBSTRUCTION (TREE) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA, AND DIVERSION OF THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND.

THE FAILURE OF THE RUBBER/METAL COUPLING IN THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY, WHICH RESULTED IN THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO LOWER AND LOCK THE LANDING GEAR.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN DISCREPANCY; INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES; AND THE PILOT'S INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE COCKPIT.

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPELLER BLADE BY UNKNOWN PERSONS AND THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE BLADE IN FATIGUE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

WRONG RUNWAY SELECTION BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN AN OVERRUN AND A COLLISION WITH A FENCE DURING LANDING ROLL. THE PREVAILING TAILWIND, RUNWAY INFORMATION AND MARKINGS, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT ARE FACTORS.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, THE PILOT'S ALCOHOL IMPAIRMENT, AND HIS NIGHT FLYING RESTRICTION.

THE INTENTIONAL WHEELS UP LANDING IN SOFT TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FUEL STARVATION INDUCED POWER LOSS, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS, IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR DURING ATTEMPTED RESTARTS, AND THE SOFT TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURES, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH ON THE ILS APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH AT THE DECISION HEIGHT. THE ADVERSE WEATHER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE AIRCRAFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATION AND FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE PILOT WHICH DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.