Mooney M20D N6831U

Summary

On 2 September 1999 at about 19:12 local time, a Mooney M20D registered N6831U was involved in an accident near Bear Valley, California, 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

2 September 1999 at 19:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Bear Valley, California, United States

Coordinates

38.3501, -120.1996

Aircraft

Mooney M20D

Registration

N6831U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Corona → Fallon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99FA294

1 person died.

The pilot's in-flight loss of control for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About noon, during a cross-country flight under benign visual meteorological conditions, the pilot lost control of her airplane. It entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted 9,200-foot mean sea level terrain in a nearly vertical nose down attitude. The wreckage was not located for several days. The pilot had about 1,700 total hours of flight time, of which about 1,600 hours were in the accident model of airplane. She was a current pilot. The airplane was not equipped with an autopilot or any wing-leveling device. There were no en route communications between the pilot and any FAA facility. No evidence of any mechanical malfunction with the airframe or engine was noted during the on-scene wreckage examination. The continuity of the airplane's flight control system was confirmed. Three witnesses who observed the pilot prior to departure indicated that she did not appear physically well. One of the witnesses stated the pilot had a 'flushed' look on her face and bags under her eyes. The second witness reported that the pilot 'did not look normal.' The third witness stated that the pilot 'did not look well.' The toxicological examination revealed the presence of a readily available over-the-counter decongestant in body tissue; however, no blood level for the drug was ascertained. The drug's involvement remains undetermined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.