Mooney M20K N231AM

Summary

On 18 March 1982 at about 02:21 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N231AM, operated by Donald G. & Patricia J. Farhat, was involved in an accident near Alpine, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

18 March 1982 at 02:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Alpine, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N231AM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald G. & Patricia J. Farhat

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX82FA110

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER BEING CLEARED FROM 8000 FEET DOWN TO 6000 FEET THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER REALIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN TROUBLE WHEN THE MODE C ALTITUDE INDICATED 3600 FEET. HE RECEIVED NO UNDERSTANDABLE RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT WHEN ASKED ABOUT ALTITUDE OR HEADING. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY AFTERWARD. DURING THE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE FSS IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE PILOT LAND SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION TO OBTAIN A WEATHER UPDATE DUE TO FORECAST ICING AND TURBULENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE IMPACTED AT A NEAR VERTICAL ANGLE WITH NO FORWARD TRAVEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.