Mooney M20F N3447N

Summary

On 9 October 2006 at about 19:17 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N3447N was involved in an accident near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 2006 at 19:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Brownsville, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.0392, -79.8606

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N3447N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monongahela → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07FA003

2 people died.

A loss of aircraft control, for unknown reasons, while maneuvering.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and private pilot/owner departed from their home airport, for the purpose of conducting a biennial flight review. Radar data indicated the airplane climbed to an altitude of 3,400 feet mean sea level (msl), and began maneuvering between the altitudes of 3,500 feet to 3,800 feet, at groundspeeds ranging between 109-131 knots. The airplane continued to maneuver, and the speed gradually decreased from 101 knots to 65 knots, as the altitude decreased from 3,700 to 2,800 feet. At some point during the descent, the airplane entered a spin which continued until it impacted the ground. The private pilot had approximately 1,207 hours of total flight experience at the time of the accident. All of his flight time during the previous 6 years was accumulated in the accident airplane. The flight instructor reported over 10,800 hours of total flight experience. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The private pilot experienced a heart attack 3 years prior to the accident, and the FAA issued him Special Issuance Medical Certificates on three occasions preceding the accident. The pilot had developed an intermittent abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) approximately 10 months prior to the accident, and began taking a blood thinner (warfarin) to reduce his risk for stroke. The pilot's FAA medical records did not note whether the pilot had any symptoms with the atrial fibrillation or how frequently he experienced it, and information submitted to the FAA by the pilot indicated that he was on an inadequate dose of warfarin to effectively reduce his stroke risk; nonetheless, the FAA most recently authorized Special Issuance of a medical certificate two months prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.