Mooney M20K N1170Z

Summary

On 16 November 1988 at about 23:50 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N1170Z was involved in an accident near Holden, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 November 1988 at 23:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Holden, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N1170Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Worcester → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC89FA032

1 person died.

INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND CONTACT WITH TREES PRIOR TO REGAINING CONTROL AFTER THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOPILOT. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE LACK OF RECENT NIGHT EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT MADE A NIGHT INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE WITH A MAXIMUM ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 4,000 FT. THE PLT FAILED TO FOLLOW HIS DEPARTURE INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING ROUTING. HE CLIMBED TO 4,600 FT AND WHEN QUERIED, SAID HE WAS HAVING AUTOPILOT PROBLEMS. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE ACFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE ACFT IMPACTED A LINE OF TREES AT A HIGH SPEED AND WAS EXTENSIVELY BROKEN UP. THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER 450 FT. THE AUTOPILOT PROBLEM WAS NOT IDENTIFIED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF IMPACT DAMAGE; HOWEVER, NO PROBLEM WAS NOTED WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE PLT WAS CURRENT WITH INSTRUMENTS, BUT NOT FOR NIGHT FLIGHT. THE ACFT PITOT STATIC SYSTEM AND TRANSPONDER WERE BOTH OUT OF INSPECTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.