Mooney M20C Safety Record

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a climbing turn during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation after entering instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to use of methamphetamine before the flight.

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.

The pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation while flying in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the vacuum pump and its associated instruments.

Collision with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor preflight planning and poor decision to depart on the accident flight.

The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and the airplane experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation while maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing was the pilot's lack of instrument currency and his self-induced pressure to complete the flight.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as the result of foreign object debris in the fuel selector valve. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's selection of a low cruising altitude, which reduced the available time to troubleshoot the loss of engine power and afforded fewer forced landing site options, and improper maintenance of the airplane, which allowed a portion of a shop towel into the fuel system.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's improper decision to fly to the destination airport and into known instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his controlled flight into mountainous terrain during a snow storm.

The non-instrument rated pilots’ decision to continue flight into known instrument meteorological conditions over mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot’s decision to turn into rising terrain that would have required performance in excess of the airplane’s maximum climb rate to clear after taking off at a high density altitude.

The pilot's improper decision to take off in conditions conducive to icing, and his inability to maintain control of the airplane during an in-flight accumulation of structural ice.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines while on a night straight-in visual flight rules approach. Factors include a power transmission line about one and three-tenths mile off the approach end of the runway, and the pilot's decision to operate in the night environment.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent to ground impact. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in complex airplanes.

The pilot's decision to attempt flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot's loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were haze and low ceilings, the night lighting condition, an undetermined attitude gyro problem, and the pilot's lack of qualification/experience for flight in instrument conditions.