Mooney M20J N201TX

Summary

On 15 December 1993 at about 02:24 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N201TX was involved in an accident near Jones Beach, New York, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 December 1993 at 02:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Jones Beach, New York, United States

Coordinates

40.6601, -73.4898

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N201TX

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farmingdale → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC94LA049

3 people died.

was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, resulting in the airplane impacting with the water. Also casual in this accident was the pilot's total lack of experience in this type of aircraft, and operations. A factor in this accident was the lack of visual reference with the horizon as result of the dark night.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GAIN A CLEARANCE FROM ATC FOR A TRANSITION FLIGHT THROUGH CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE AT 1000 FT. THE PILOT DECLINED THE CLEARANCE ATC GAVE HIM, AND ELECTED TO CANCEL HIS REQUEST AND RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT, AND THE WEATHER WAS MARGINAL VFR AT TIMES, AND A PILOT REPORTED FOG IN THE AREA. RADAR DATA DEPICTED AN AIRPLANE MANEUVERING IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LOCATION, OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT 2123:56. PRIOR TO THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR IT DESCENDED AND CLIMBED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VERTICAL VELOCITY DURING THE DESCENTS PEAKED AT 7000 FEET PER MINUTE (FPM), FOLLOWED BY A CLIMB OF ABOUT 5000 FPM, AND ANOTHER DESCENT OF 4000 FPM. THE SEARCH OF THE WATERS OFF THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND, NY, AND ALERT NOTICE (ALNOT), WERE CANCELLED ON 12/22/93. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT PIECES OF AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WASHED UP ON THE BEACH. ONE PIECE OF DEBRIS HAD 'N201TX' PAINTED ON IT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR SOLO FLIGHT IN THIS TYPE AIRCRAFT; NIGHT FLYING; AND/OR THE CARRYING OF PASSENGERS AT ANYTIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.