Mooney M20C accident near Elbert, CO
On February 1, 2009, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Elbert, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 1, 2009
- Place
- Elbert, CO
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.220°N, 104.531°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090201X24429
Official records · CEN09FA147
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 1, 2009, about 1030 mountain standard time, a single-engine Mooney M20C, N7774M, was substantially damaged upon impact with terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Elbert, Colorado. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Alpha Aviation, Inc. and operated by the pilot. A flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The local flight originated from the Centennial Airport (APA), Denver, Colorado. There were no reported witnesses to the accident; however, a local resident noticed the aircraft wreckage and alerted authorities. A review of the airplane's radar track shows the airplane conducting several "back-n-forth" maneuvers, working away from APA in a southeasterly direction. Prior to disappearing from radar at 1027, the airplane appeared to be conducting a "gentle" right-hand turn; the last radar hit had the airplane at 7,900 feet mean sea level (about 1,300 feet above ground level) with a groundspeed of approximately 50-knots. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land with instrument airplane. His third class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical was issued August 4, 2008. The pilot's log book was located, and the pilot had recorded about 412 total flight hours. The pilot's preceding flight was the day prior, (January 31, 2009), where he logged 1 hour with 3 take-off and landings. Prior to January's 31st flight, the previous flight was on October 2, 2008; he ha
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
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Browse: Colorado · 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.
