Mooney M20J N1166U

Summary

On 20 March 1983 at about 11:20 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N1166U, operated by Malcolm P. Lawrence, was involved in an accident near Tampa, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 March 1983 at 11:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Tampa, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tampa Intl (TPA)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N1166U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Malcolm P. Lawrence

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Montgomery

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA83FA093

3 people were seriously injured.

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

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING AN INSTRUMENT TAKEOFF IN IMC. THE SKY WAS OBSCURED & VISIBILITY ZERO. AFTER LIFT-OFF THE ACFT BEGAN TO SETTLE. THE PLT STATED HE AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION BY ADVANCING DOWN TRIM WHICH WAS HIS ROUTINE TO ESTABLISH A 5 DEG CLIMB PITCH. HE FURTHER AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION BY ENGAGING THE AUTOPILOT. ON 'HDG' MODE THE AUTOPILOT HOLDS THE ACTIVE TRIM WHICH WAS STILL DOWN. THE PLT ALSO THOUGHT HE SET THE HSI BUG TO THE RWY HEADING OF 360 DEG. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE FOUND THE 'HDG' BUG ON 330 DEG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.