Mooney M-20J N4780H

Summary

On 6 June 2001 at about 21:35 local time, a Mooney M-20J registered N4780H was involved in an accident near Monroe, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2001 at 21:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Monroe, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Monroe Airport (EQY)

Coordinates

35.0181, -80.6200

Aircraft

Mooney M-20J

Registration

N4780H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charlotte → Jacksonville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA01FA151

3 people died.

The pilot in command’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering to avoid objects, resulting in a stall/mush and collision with the terrain during uncontrolled descent. Contributing to the accident was the improper approach to land and his failure to maintain the proper altitude on approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had been airborne for about 15 minutes and while en route had informed FAA Charlotte departure control that he was having electrical problems, saying that he needed to "get down nearest airport no emergency yet.". The controller responded informing the pilot of an airport that was about 2 miles behind him, or the Monroe Airport, which was about 6 miles ahead, which had more services. At 1730:57, the pilot reported the airport in sight, and the controller cleared him for the visual approach, stating that that runway 23 was in use, and telling the pilot to descend at his own discretion. At 1732:05 pilot then acknowledged the controller's communications transmission saying, "roger two three," and that was the last radio communication between the controller and the pilot. At 1735:46, the crew of a Hawker corporate jet, N942DS, which was departing from Monroe Airport reported to FAA Air traffic Control that N4780H had just crashed, and that there was smoke and fire at the scene of the crash. Witnesses stated that they observed N4780H approach Monroe Airport from the northeast, and saw it turn to the left, beyond runway 23, about 200 yards from the end of the runway, in a left descending turn. After the initial left descending turn, the witnesses said the pilot made a right descending turn toward the runway as if to get on a left downwind approach for runway 23, and during the turn the airplane had descended below the treeline. The witnesses said that as the airplane approached the trees it assumed a nose high pitch attitude, and they heard a noise as the bottom of the airplane slapped the trees. After the airplane slapped the trees they said the pitch attitude was increased to a near vertical pitch attitude, and airplane then pitched over nose first, and descended almost straight down, disappearing below the trees. Postcrash examination of the airframe, flight controls, and engine did not reveal any evidence of preaccident failures or malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.