Mooney M20F N6858V
11 January 1991 · Pageland, South Carolina, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 January 1991 at about 19:27 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N6858V, operated by Blackwell, Billy, was involved in an accident near Pageland, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:27
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pageland, South Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.5994, -81.1500
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F
- Registration
- N6858V
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Blackwell, Billy
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Monroe → Grand Strand
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL91FA020
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
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).
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
AFTER DEPARTING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED A SYSTEM PROBLEM AND REQUESTED CLEARANCE BACK TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. SOON THEREAFTER, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE HE WAS EXPERIENCING A GYRO PROBLEM. NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM N6858V. INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLYING IN CLOUDS BEFORE IT CRASHED. REPORTEDLY, IT MADE AN 'S' TURN, THEN IT WAS OBSERVED BELOW THE CLOUDS, SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT. AN EXAM OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY OBVIOUS MALFUNCTION OR CONTROL FAILURE. EXAMINATION OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND VACUUM SYSTEM COMPONENTS FAILED TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. BOTH GYROS SHOWED SIGNS OF ROTATION, AND THE VACUUM PUMP SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE. A LOW LEVEL OF ETHANOL WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S LIVER TISSUE, BUT NONE WAS FOUND IN KIDNEY TISSUE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20F accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1991 | Mooney M20F | Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States | James H. Flynn | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 1991 | Mooney M20F | Kent, Washington, United States | William E. Claussen | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 May 1991 | Mooney M20F | Quincy, California, United States | James I./Michele G. Johnson | Fatal | 4 |
| 14 Jul 1990 | Mooney M20F | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | B & L Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1992 | Mooney M20F | So. Lake Tahoe, California, United States | Charles Downing | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1992 | Mooney M20F | Eufaula, Alabama, United States | Brown, Carl A. | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 1991 | Piper PA-28-140 | Surf Side Beach, South Carolina, United States | Riggott, Robert C. & Lois J. | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Jun 1991 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Irmo, South Carolina, United States | Cubco, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Mar 1991 | Cessna 182D | Greer, South Carolina, United States | Blair, David M. and Frances R. | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1991 | Cessna 177RG | Saluda, South Carolina, United States | Southeast Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 May 1991 | Schweizer 269C | Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States | Dooley Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 May 1991 | Schweizer SGS2-33A | Little River, South Carolina, United States | Carolina Sailplanes, Inc. | No injuries | - |