Mooney M20J accident near Teddys Peak, CO
On September 13, 2012, a Mooney M20J (airplane) was involved in an accident near Teddys Peak, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 13, 2012
- Place
- Teddys Peak, CO
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.060°N, 105.312°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120917X45348
Official records · CEN12FA639
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 13, 2012, approximately 0920 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20P, N58119, registered to Occuhealth INC., of Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, sustained substantial damage when it crashed in rugged mountainous terrain (12,300 feet MSL) while climbing over the San Isabel National Forest, Colorado. Both occupants, the pilot and his pilot rated passenger, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the enroute portion of the flight, however, obscuration and fog were observed to be present near the accident area. A flight plan was not filed for the cross-country flight being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB) approximately 0820, and was enroute to its intended destination of Reno, Nevada, when the accident occurred. An ALNOT was issued when the airplane did not arrive at its intended destination. On September 15, 2012, after an extensive air and ground search, coordinated by the Huerfano County Sheriff's Department, the airplane's wreckage was reached by ground personnel near the top of a ridgeline at 37:20.25 N latitude 105:10.02 W longitude, at an elevation of 12,300 feet. The wreckage was found on a steep upslope and there was evidence of a post-impact fire that consumed most of the cabin area. The victims were removed and transported to the county coroner's office. Radar data provided by the FAA showed the flight track of the airplane in a steady climb, heading south after takeoff from Pueblo. The airplane then turned
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue flight into deteriorating weather conditions, including fog and mountain obscuration, and his failure to maintain clearance with known rising terrain along the route of flight, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
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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.
