Mooney M-20E N1941Y

Summary

On 2 April 1991 at about 05:00 local time, a Mooney M-20E registered N1941Y, operated by Alan D. MC Donald, was involved in an accident near Lee Vining, California, 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

2 April 1991 at 05:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lee Vining, California, United States

Coordinates

37.9909, -119.1094

Aircraft

Mooney M-20E

Registration

N1941Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Alan D. MC Donald

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tonopah → Stockton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX91LA154

1 person died.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO CLEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT FATIGUE DUE TO A LENGTHY CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT BEGAN AT ABOUT 0830 HOURS AND WAS PLANNED TO COVER ABOUT 1,300 NAUTICAL MILES. THE PILOT DEPARTED HIS LAST FUEL STOP AT ABOUT 2000 HOURS WHERE A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT APPEARED FATIGUED. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS OVER HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN THAT HAD A MINIMUM FLIGHT ELEVATION OF 13,500 FEET. AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED AT 0024 HOURS, LOCATED 105 MILES WEST OF THE LAST DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED BY SEARCH PERSONNEL AT 11,000 FEET AND HAD IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN SIDE IN A REMOTE AREA OF DEEP SNOW. AT THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1,000 FEET BELOW THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE LINE. THE TIME AND LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT PLACED THE AIRPLANE IN AN AREA THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY GROUND OR MOON ILLUMINATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.