Mooney M20K accident near Pendleton, OR
On January 24, 2000, a Mooney M20K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pendleton, OR. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 24, 2000
- Place
- Pendleton, OR
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.731°N, 118.791°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20431
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 23, 2000, at 1853 Pacific standard time, a Mooney M20K, N251BD, was destroyed when it collided with terrain approximately 1.5 miles from the end of runway 29, shortly after takeoff from Pendleton, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane had been cleared for takeoff approximately two minutes before the pilot declared a "Mayday." Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the pilot had received an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance to climb to ten thousand feet mean sea level (MSL) en route to Eugene, Oregon. The airplane burned after impact. The emergency locator beacon (ELT) assisted in the location of the wreckage. The pilot had departed Billings, Montana, earlier in the day on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan, with a destination of Creswell, Oregon. While en route, he had picked up an IFR clearance, and had closed his VFR flight plan. He had elected to land at Pendleton while en route. During approach to Pendleton, he had advised that he was encountering icing conditions, and had requested that after-hours refueling be made available. After landing, he had parked on the ramp and his airplane was refueled ("topped off") with 36.6 gallons of 100 octane low-lead aviation gasoline. The pilot borrowed a 2" x 6" wheel chock from the refueler and - according to the refueler - "...started pounding the leading edges of the wings and vertical stabilizer. After finishing the vertical stabilizer, he [the pilot] made the comment that his airplane was now deiced." The refueler, who was a highly exp
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately remove ice and snow from the airplane. A contributing factor was the pilot's inability to maintain control during climb due to degradation of the airplane's aerodynamic performance.
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Browse: Oregon · 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.
