Mooney M20C accident near Van Nuys, CA
On June 2, 2005, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 2, 2005
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.281°N, 118.611°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050610X00750
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 1, 2005, at 2306 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N6574U, collided with terrain while executing the ILS RWY 16 localizer instrument approach at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, California. The private pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated at Orange County Airport, California, at 2145, and was en route to the Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles, California. Airport surveillance radar from Long Beach and Burbank recorded the airplane's flight path for a majority of the flight. The radar record picks the airplane up at 2145:24, with a transponder code of 0222, off Orange Country Airport at 100 feet mean sea level (msl). The track proceeds north at 1,400 feet msl, and at 2151:43, the transponder code is changed to 1200. The track continues its northerly course at 4,300 feet to La Harbra Heights, and then turns northwest towards Pasadena. At 2209:54, the track stops over Placerita Canyon State Park. The track is reacquired over Santa Clarita at 2218:54, at an altitude of 2,500 feet msl. The track proceeds southeast in a loop climbing to 3,500 feet over the I-5 freeway and Highway 14 intersection, and then backtracking northwest over Santa Clarita, where the track stops at 2226:52, 2,800 feet msl. The track is reacquired at 2227:38, at 3,200 feet over Santa Clarita. From this point the track proceeds southwest over Simi Valley at 4,900 feet, then
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to attempt flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot's loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were haze and low ceilings, the night lighting condition, an undetermined attitude gyro problem, and the pilot's lack of qualification/experience for flight in instrument conditions.
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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.
