Mooney M20F Safety Record

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

The student pilot’s decision to depart on a visual flight rules flight into reduced visibility night conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot's failure to properly execute the instrument approach procedure. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's improper preflight planning and his decision to conduct the flight in instrument meteorological conditions at night into forecast moderate turbulence and with inadequate avionics equipment for the planned flight.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed for the airplane’s configuration and flight profile, which resulted in an exceedance of the wing’s critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin.

The pilot’s decision to continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain situational awareness and sufficient altitude to clear mountainous terrain.

A loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination, and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a loss of control.

The pilot's decision to take off toward a nearby low cloud layer and the subsequent turn, stall, and spin during the pilot’s attempt to avoid the cloud layer. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to avoid the stall. His ability to avoid the stall was hindered by an inaudible stall warning system of questionable accuracy.

The pilot's failure to monitor and maintain clearance from mountainous terrain during a visual descent to the destination airport at night, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the aborted landing. Contributing to the accident was the exceedance of the airplane's maximum gross weight, and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.

The pilot's delay in aborting the landing, which resulted in a collision with transmission wires. Factors in the accident were the pilot's improper inflight decision to attempt a landing with a 14-knot tailwind, and his use of an unapproved pain medication.

The pilot's inadvertent stall/mush due to his excessive angle of bank during his traffic pattern turn to base. Factors were the pilot's improper downwind altitude, the pilot not properly setting his Kollsman Window in his altimeter, and the high density altitude.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain after flying into an area of known adverse weather. Factors include low ceilings, fog, snow showers, drizzle, and trees along his intended route.

The pilot's misjudging the distance vs. altitude resulting in the collision with the water short of the intended touchdown point of the rough field. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of engine power due to failure of the No. 3 cylinder connecting rod bearing for undetermined reasons and fatigue failure of the No. 3 cylinder connecting rod and piston pin end plugs.

The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision making by continuing flight into known adverse weather conditions. Related factors were the dark night and the winter storm (snow and fog).

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE FLIGHT CREW, AND THEIR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, RISING TERRAIN, THE FLIGHT CREW'S LACK OF MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN THEIR PERSONAL ABILITIES.

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC AND THEREAFTER HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF HIS AIRPLANE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT RELATED TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION WHICH RESULTED IN HIS DELAYED EMERGENCY PROCEDURE, DISORIENTATION AFTER ENTERING CLOUDS AND RAIN, AND TO HIS LACK OF RECENT FLYING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE MODEL OF AIRPLANE.

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).