Mooney M20C N1323D

Summary

On 11 March 2002 at about 03:19 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N1323D was involved in an accident near Glenwood Sprngs, Colorado, 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

11 March 2002 at 03:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Glenwood Sprngs, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.7167, -107.2167

Aircraft

Mooney M20C

Registration

N1323D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kremmling → Grand Junction

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN02FA030

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation, resulting in a collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of an instrument rating and the dark night conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After visiting his girlfriend, the non-instrument rated private pilot took off in dark night visual meteorological conditions to return home. When he failed to arrive, a search was initiated and the wreckage was found 2 days later in deep snow in mountainous terrain. According to recorded radar data at two different sites, a target departed the airport and climbed to 13,900 feet msl and took up a direct heading toward what would have been the pilot's planned destination. Halfway there, the target made a wide circle to the left of approximately 450 degrees, followed immediately by a tight circle to the right of approximately 360 degrees. The difference in time and altitude between the last two radar "hits" 14 seconds and 3,000 feet, respectively, equates to a 12,857 foot per minute rate of descent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.