Mooney M-20C N5743N

Summary

On 4 February 2000 at about 20:50 local time, a Mooney M-20C registered N5743N was involved in an accident near Andrews, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 February 2000 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Andrews, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.1892, -83.8202

Aircraft

Mooney M-20C

Registration

N5743N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Richmond → Knoxville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA00LA082

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat in a timely manner while maneuvering in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, resulting in the loss of engine power and collision with trees during the subsequent emergency descent.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was on an IFR flight plan between Richmond, Virginia, and Knoxville Downtown Island Airport, and according to transcripts of radio communications between N5743N and Atlanta ARTCC, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan to proceed VFR, (with Atlanta ARTCC flight following) to avoid icing conditions. Following a lengthy, circuitous route around the eastern and southern quadrants of his destination, he experienced a sudden loss of engine power and crashed into trees at the 4,200 foot level in mountains about 50 miles south of his destination. The pilot stated flight conditions at the time of engine power loss were light snow and about 30 degrees F ambient temperature. A subsequent engine teardown examination revealed low compression on number two cylinder due to worn piston rings and black, sooty, carbon deposits on the spark plug electrodes for cylinders number two, three, and four. Reference to the carburetor icing probability charts for the conditions present put this flight within the region labeled 'serious icing at cruise power.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.