Mooney M20L N132MP

Summary

On 4 November 1993 at about 03:35 local time, a Mooney M20L registered N132MP, operated by Hardison, William L., was involved in an accident near Hohenwald, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 November 1993 at 03:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Hohenwald, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

John A Baker Field (0M3)

Coordinates

35.5506, -87.5504

Aircraft

Mooney M20L

Registration

N132MP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hardison, William L.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clarksville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL94FA012

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, THAT RESULTED IN HIS CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT AT NIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM THE TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT & HIS PASSENGER WERE RETURNING HOME ON A NIGHT, VFR, BUSINESS FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT LOW CEILINGS & FOG PREVAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES & TERRAIN ABOUT 2 MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION (A VFR-ONLY AIRPORT). THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ABOUT 500' IN LENGTH. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT INITIAL IMPACT WAS IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED 6.114 UG/ML OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE, 0.272 UG/ML OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE, 13.5 UG/ML OF ACETAMINOPHEN, 30 MG/DL OF ACETALDEHYDE, & 10.3 UG/ML OF SALICYLATE (ASPIRIN). ALSO, 0.61 UG/ML OF HYDROCODONE WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BILE. AN AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER (AME) REPORTED THE PILOT HAD SUFFERED FROM ALLERGIES & DEPRESSION. THE AME WAS ALSO THE PILOT'S PERSONAL PHYSICAN & PART OWNER OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. HE HAD REPEATEDLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS TO THE PILOT, AS THOSE FOUND DURING THE TOXICOLOGY TESTS, THAT WERE NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.