Mooney M20F N3514X

Summary

On 3 April 1990 at about 04:46 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N3514X, operated by Nicholson, David Robert, was involved in an accident near Bethany, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 April 1990 at 04:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethany, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Wiley Post (PWA)

Coordinates

35.5005, -97.6399

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N3514X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Nicholson, David Robert

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Louis → Oklahoma City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW90DPJ04

1 person died.

LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOT STALLED AND SPUN THE AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY WHILE TURNING TO THE BASE LEG. A FACTOR WAS LACK OF NIGHT FLYING TIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A NIGHT VFR APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE START A TURN TO BASE LEG AND THEN SPIN INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE WAS DEMOLISHED BY IMPACT AND THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED IN CHESTER, SC ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED HIS PILOT'S LICENSE ON MARCH 24, 1990, HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE TO SOUTH CAROLINA ON MARCH 28, 1990, AND WAS ON HIS WAY BACK TO ARIZONA TO VISIT HIS SICK FATHER. THE PILOT'S TOTAL FLYING TIME WAS 106 HOURS, OF WHICH 6.7 HOURS HAD BEEN FLOWN AT NIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.