Mooney M20M N40KA

Summary

On 28 October 2021 at about 16:11 local time, a Mooney M20M registered N40KA, operated by Another Greaser LLC, was involved in an accident near Snoqualmie, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 October 2021 at 16:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Snoqualmie, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.5923, -121.6330

Aircraft

Mooney M20M

Registration

N40KA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1993

Engines

1

Operator

Another Greaser LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Twin Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22FA023

1 person died.

The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane into known icing conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After a 6-year hiatus from flying, the pilot had just purchased the airplane. The morning of the accident flight, he filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and received a weather briefing that identified icing conditions along the planned flight route. The pilot departed the airport about 0842 and planned to climb to an altitude of 17,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About 0901, the controller cleared the pilot to depart 14,000 ft msl and climb to 17,000 ft msl. Subsequently, the controller informed the pilot of multiple PIREPs for icing conditions from 12,000 ft msl to 18,000 ft msl and offered the pilot an altitude of 19,000 ft msl to get above the icing, which the pilot accepted. About 0904, after climbing to an altitude of 16,300 ft msl, the airplane began a rapid descent with a series of tight spiral turns. Communication between the controller and the pilot became broken and unreadable. An airplane operating in the area relayed to the controller that the pilot reported being out of control. Shortly after 0910 radar contact was lost, and the airplane impacted terrain. It is likely that the accident airplane encountered structural icing and that the erratic turns coupled with a rapid descent rate were indicative of the pilot’s loss of airplane control, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The supplement to the pilot’s operating handbook and the airplane flight manual contained a warning that stated, “INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING IS PROHIBITED.” The pilot’s logbook contained no record of a recent instrument proficiency check.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.