Mooney M20M accident near Mount Pleasant, SC
On January 10, 2000, a Mooney M20M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mount Pleasant, SC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 10, 2000
- Place
- Mount Pleasant, SC
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20M · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.819°N, 79.860°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20404
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 9, 2000, at about 1900 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20M, N2135X, registered to Silverscape Designs Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering on a VOR/DME approach to East Cooper Airport (8S5), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, about 44 minutes before the accident. Review of transcripts of communication between Charleston approach and N2135X revealed N2135X contacted Charleston approach at 23:29:37 (18:29:37), at 4,000 feet. At 23:29:42, Charleston approach provided N2135X with the current altimeter and informed him that he did not have any landing weather information at East Cooper Airport: In addition, he asked N2135Z what type of an approach was he requesting. N2135X stated, "Ahh if its okay with you I'll fly direct to the airport and if I get a visual I'll take it otherwise I'll do the VOR ahh DME alpha." N2135X was instructed to expect lower in 5 miles. At 23:43:12, N2135X was instructed to descend to 1,600, and was informed that the airport was 3 miles at his 12 o'clock position. N2135X stated, "down to one thousand six hundred ahh looking for the airport." Charleston approach informed N2135X at 23:44:53, that he was over the airport. N2135X replied, "okay I'll do the VOR alpha." N2135X was provided a heading change, instructed to climb to 2,500 feet, and informed that he was going to vector him to th
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuv ering on a night instrument approach in instrument conditions. This resulted in an inadvertent in-flight loss of control (stall/spin), and subsequent in-flight collision with a swamp. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to marihuana.
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Browse: South Carolina · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
