Aerostar Acft Corp of Texas M20E N9614V

Summary

On 1 November 2010 at about 07:30 local time, a Aerostar Acft Corp of Texas M20E registered N9614V, operated by Randy Donnarumma, was involved in an accident near Seligman, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 November 2010 at 07:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Seligman, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

35.3347, -112.8861

Aircraft

Aerostar Acft Corp of Texas M20E

Registration

N9614V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Randy Donnarumma

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kingman → Boulder City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

WPR11CA036

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight planning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he turned to his intended heading and climbed to a predetermined cruise altitude to maintain clearance from terrain during the night visual flight rules cross-country flight. Following an uneventful cruise phase of the flight, the pilot observed what he believed to be his destination airport and initiated a descent. The pilot stated that he was unable to turn on the airport runway lights and decided to continue the descent to the airport's traffic pattern altitude of 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) while circling the airport. During the second circle and descent, the pilot aborted the descent and began to initiate a climb whereupon the airplane impacted terrain at an elevation of about 5,200 feet msl. The pilot reported that he was surprised when local law enforcement informed him that he was in Seligman, Arizona, instead of his intended destination of Boulder City, Nevada. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact anomalies with the airplane that would have contributed to the accident and that "all systems were working." The pilot added that prior to the flight; he estimated an approximate heading and altitude needed for the flight to his destination airport.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.