Mooney M-20E N2709W

Summary

On 22 June 1998 at about 15:00 local time, a Mooney M-20E registered N2709W was involved in an accident near Pickens, South Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 June 1998 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pickens, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.8792, -82.6996

Aircraft

Mooney M-20E

Registration

N2709W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenville → Morristown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA98FA187

1 person died.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot not maintaining adequate clearance with objects (trees) during the emergency landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's impairment associated with the use of an antihistamine and the trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in radio and radar contact with FAA Greenville/Spartanburg's Departure Control, climbing through 7,900 feet msl, to an assigned altitude of 9,500 feet msl, about 30 miles northwest of the Greenville/Spartanburg Airport, the pilot radioed that she had a very rough running engine and wanted vectors to the nearest airport. The controller supplied vectors to within 7 miles of the nearest airport, at which time the pilot chose a farmers field for a forced landing. The airplane collided with two pine trees within a stand of pines about 40 feet above ground, in a relatively flat, wings level, upright attitude. The airplane continued airborne for about 310 feet over a relatively clear field and then impact dense brush and 8- to 12-foot trees in an inverted attitude. Subsequent disassembly and examination of the engine and its associated components revealed no cause for the rough running engine. A finding of 0.056 ug/ml (ug/g) Diphenhydramine (antihistamine) was reported in the toxicological evaluation of the pilot's blood and urine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.