Mooney M20J N5765K

Summary

On 11 May 1985 at about 21:44 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N5765K, operated by Somody Supply, Inc., was involved in an accident near Covington, Tennessee, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 May 1985 at 21:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Covington, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.5599, -89.6407

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N5765K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Somody Supply, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St.joseph → Tallahassee

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL85FA157

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER TAKEOFF, THE FLT PROGRESSED NORMALLY, EXCEPT ONE ARTCC CONTROLLER HAD DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLT DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE FLT. AFTER CRUISING AT 11,000 FT FOR APRX 2 HRS, THE PLT OBTAINED UPDATED WX INFO & REQUESTED CLEARANCE TO DESCEND TO 9000 FT TO AVOID BUILD-UPS. HE WAS CLEARED TO DEVIATE & DESCEND AT HIS DISCRETION & HE ACKNOWLEDGED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST. AN IN-FLT BREAK-UP OCCURRED & THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A WIDE AREA. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS WERE FOUND APRX 2-1/2 MI FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAD FAILED IN A SLIGHT UP & REARWARD DIRECTION. NO PRE-ACCIDENT FAILURES WERE FOUND. WX DATA SHOWED THAT THE ACFT LIKELY PENETRATED THE EDGE OF A STRONG (VIP LEVEL 3) THUNDERSTORM WITH SEVERE TURBULENCE, RAIN & UP/DOWNDRAFTS. A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED A SMALL AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL (0.05%); HOWEVER, THE AMOUNT DUE TO POSSIBLE PUTREFACTION OR CONTAMINATION WAS NOT DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.