Mooney M20K accident near Pinedale, WY
On May 23, 2004, a Mooney M20K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pinedale, WY. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 23, 2004
- Place
- Pinedale, WY
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.181°N, 109.657°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040528X00684
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 23, 2004, at 1139 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N231DL, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering in the Wind River Range, near Pinedale, Wyoming. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The pilot/owner of the airplane was operating it under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal, cross-country flight that originated from Sunriver, Oregon, at approximately 0800. The meteorological (visibility) conditions could not be determined at the accident site. No flight plan had been filed, but family members said the destination was Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The pilot requested flight following from Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) soon after takeoff. During the flight, he frequently requested updated weather reports for his route of flight from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel. At 1103, ATC tapes documented that the pilot said that he was deviating to avoid weather, and at 1117 he said his intention was to continue to Riverton, Wyoming, for a fuel stop. At 1136, ATC radar data indicates that the airplane was approaching the Wind River Range at 15,700 feet. At 1138:52, the airplane crossed over Gannett Peak (elevation 13,804 feet), which is on the continental divide and is the highest peak in Wyoming. At 1139:20, ATC radar recorded its last return from the airplane. The last two radar returns suggest that the airplane was in a descent of approximately 4,200 feet per minute. Search and rescue teams found the airplane 3
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering. Contributing factors were the downdraft, the snow shower weather and mountainous terrain.
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Browse: Wyoming · 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.
