Mooney M20F N6467Q

Summary

On 19 July 2014 at about 14:40 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N6467Q was involved in an accident near North Elba, New York, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2014 at 14:40

Classification

Accident

Location

North Elba, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Placid (LKP)

Coordinates

44.2672, -73.9492

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N6467Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Potsdam → Lake Placid

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14FA345

3 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed for the airplane’s configuration and flight profile, which resulted in an exceedance of the wing’s critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident airplane and another airplane approached the single runway from opposite directions. A witness reported hearing the pilot of the accident airplane reporting positions relative to the airport; he did not hear the pilot of the other airplane make any transmissions. Postaccident interviews with the pilot of the other airplane revealed that he was using a portable radio that likely became disabled due to its location and/or configuration in the cockpit; however, due to the type of airspace, neither airplane was required to have radio communications. As both airplanes approached the runway, both pilots saw the other airplane and successfully completed go-arounds to the right. The accident airplane then entered a steep climb, and, as it made a crosswind turn, the nose dropped, and the airplane entered a spin to the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear were down and that the flaps were likely somewhat extended; however, the degree to which they were extended or whether they were in transit could not be determined. Wreckage damage indicated that the airplane was in a left spin at the time of impact. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.