Mooney M20K accident near Los Angeles, CA
On March 17, 2004, a Mooney M20K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 17, 2004
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.015°N, 118.438°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040330X00399
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 16, 2004, about 1703 Pacific standard time, a Mooney M20K, N1148V, descended into a single family residence about 0.5 nautical miles south-southeast (122 degrees, magnetic) of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), in Los Angeles, California. Impact forces and fire destroyed the airplane and a portion of the private residence. The two private pilots in the airplane were fatally injured. The male pilot in the left front seat held an instrument rating. The female passenger in the right front seat was not instrument-rated. Neither the sole occupant in the residence nor anyone else on the ground was injured. The male pilot was the registered co-owner of the airplane. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan was in effect at the time of the accident. The personal flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from the Mammoth Yosemite (uncontrolled) Airport, near Mammoth Lakes, California, at an undetermined time before 1538. A friend of the pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he believed the purpose of the accident flight was to return home following a brief vacation in the Mammoth area where the accident pilot and his wife (the passenger-pilot) had been skiing. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), after takeoff the male pilot contacted the Oakland, California, Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at 1538. The pilot requested an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance to SMO. The pilot had previously filed an IFR flig
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of airplane control while maneuvering due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the low ceiling, reduced visibility (fog), and the pilot's lack of instrument flying currency. An additional factor was the failure of air traffic control personnel to follow established Federal Aviation Administration directives to disseminate updated weather information.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
- British Aerospace BAE-146-200, Dec 8, 1987
- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · 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.
