Mooney M20A accident near Wikieup, AZ
On March 28, 2013, a Mooney M20A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wikieup, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 28, 2013
- Place
- Wikieup, AZ
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.606°N, 113.491°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130328X51911
Official records · WPR13FA169
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Radio Transcripts: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 28, 2013, about 1119 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20A, N6018X, made an off airport forced landing near Wikieup, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces. The cross-country personal flight departed Sedona, Arizona, with a planned destination of Shafter, California. Visual meteorological (VMC) conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the pilot contacted Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ABQ ARTCC) at 1028:07 requesting visual flight rules flight following. The estimated position was about 15 miles west of Sedona at 8,600 feet msl. At 1106:01, the pilot informed the controller that the engine lost oil pressure, and he needed vectors to the closest airport. The controller provided vectors to Bagdad airport (elevation 4,183 ft), and at 1109:30, the pilot advised that the airplane was losing altitude. The controller contacted another airplane in the area at 1111:16, and requested that airplane provide assistance. At 1113:28, the accident airplane was 5 miles from Bagdad at 6,600 feet. At 1115:56, the pilot stated that the engine was running rough, then within 1 minute that there was smoke in the cockpit, and he was shutting the engine off. The controller advised the pilot to look for an open field, clean the airplane up
Probable cause
The manufacture and installation of a nonstandard part by unknown maintenance personnel to compensate for a bent, misaligned crankshaft propeller flange, which resulted in the improper clearance of the bearings on the crankshaft journal, a loss of oil pressure, overheating of the bearings, and the failure of a connecting rod during cruise flight.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
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- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona · 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.
