Mooney M20E N9213M

Summary

On 5 February 1998 at about 23:29 local time, a Mooney M20E registered N9213M was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, 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

5 February 1998 at 23:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.3901, -105.2706

Aircraft

Mooney M20E

Registration

N9213M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Fe → Angel Fire

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW98FA121

1 person died.

The pilot attempting VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his lack of an instrument rating. Factors were weather conditions that included mountain wave activity conducive to turbulence, and clouds obscuring the mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane disappeared on a flight from Santa Fe to Angel Fire, New Mexico. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing nor file a flight plan. The wreckage was located three days later in mountainous terrain at the 10,700 foot level. A witness told SAR personnel he had seen a low wing airplane 'flying in and out of the cloud bottoms' in the vicinity and at about the time of the accident. A meteorological study indicated moderate to severe turbulence associated with mountain wave activity, and marginal VFR conditions in the mountains. Radar data indicated that minutes before the accident, the airplane's altitude varied between 11,700 and 13,100 feet, ground speed reached a low of 64 knots and a high of 270 knots, and vertical speed varied between +4,800 and -6,000 feet per minute (+80 and -100 feet per second). At one point, the airplane made a complete 360 degree circle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.