Mooney M20C N6855N

Summary

On 18 July 2011 at about 23:46 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N6855N was involved in an accident near Grace, Idaho, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 2011 at 23:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Grace, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Simpson Airport (ID62)

Coordinates

42.6006, -111.7278

Aircraft

Mooney M20C

Registration

N6855N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Afton → Grace

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA335

3 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses in the area observed the airplane make a slight right bank turn followed by a left bank turn toward the runway. The left bank increased to about 45 degrees, before the airplane “dropped” to the ground. Data extracted from the on-board GPS unit indicated that the pilot overshot the extended runway centerline while on the base leg then made a tight left turn back toward the centerline. The airplane impacted the ground, coming to rest less than 1 mile from the approach end of the runway. Given the witness statements and the GPS track, it is likely that the pilot overcorrected the airplane’s course by making a steep turn at low speed, which led to a stall. A postaccident examination of the engine, airframe, and related systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.