Mooney M20F N377X

Summary

On 29 August 1998 at about 21:55 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N377X was involved in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, 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

29 August 1998 at 21:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.5906, -105.1291

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N377X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chadron → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98FA378

2 people died.

The pilot's inadvertent stall/mush due to his excessive angle of bank during his traffic pattern turn to base. Factors were the pilot's improper downwind altitude, the pilot not properly setting his Kollsman Window in his altimeter, and the high density altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was returning from a cross-country flight and was observed by witnesses to enter the traffic pattern downwind at an estimated 450 feet agl and very close to the runway. One witness reported that when the aircraft turned base it 'appeared to be a kind of wing-over maneuver.' Another witness said that he 'turned left to the base leg of an approach to runway 11, and [he] quickly increased the bank so that in less than five seconds I could see a full plan view of the airplane at an altitude of approximately 200 feet.' Post-accident investigation indicated that the airplane's bank angle was approximately 30 degrees to the left and 30 degrees nose down upon ground impact. The airport (elevation 4,935 feet, density altitude 7,844 feet) had a local published traffic pattern altitude of 800 feet agl. Post-accident examination of the airplane's altimeter revealed a Kollsman Window setting of 29.96 inches. The closest recorded weather station (7 nautical miles distant and 81 feet above the destination airport elevation) was reporting a barometric pressure of 30.21 inches of mercury. The pilot's altimeter read approximately 250 feet higher than the airplane's actual altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.