ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 236074
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 15 May 2020 |
| Time: | 15:20 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 120 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N120MZ |
| MSN: | 9226 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1946 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2675 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental C85 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sangamon County, Chatham Township, IL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | St Louis, MO (1H0) |
| Chicago, IL (06C) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight at 5,500 ft mean sea level (MSL) above a cloud layer, and the airplane was not equipped with an attitude indicator or flight instruments to operate in instrument meteorological conditions. According to the pilot, the weather was forecast VFR at her destination. While en route, a cloud layer above her started lowering, so she descended to 5,000 ft MSL. The pilot could see blue sky between the layers when the two layers started to come together and then she inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
The pilot transitioned to an "inside instrument scan", turned on carburetor heat, and added full power to attempt to climb to find VFR conditions. After climbing 300 to 500 ft and about 5 minutes after entering the clouds, the pilot noticed a right turn had developed as confirmed on the heading indicator and her electronic flight device. The right turn became tighter, and the pilot recognized she was disoriented, and the airplane was descending. She elected to perform corrective action for a nose low unusual attitude and attempted to descend to visual flight conditions. The airplane broke out of the clouds about 1,500 ft above the ground (AGL) in a 25° to 30° right bank and 10° to 15° nose low attitude.
The pilot recovered to level flight and added full power. The airplane would not accelerate above 60 to 65 knots in level flight and the pilot felt the rudder was ineffective. The pilot elected to conduct a precautionary landing to nearby field that was muddy due to recent rains. During the landing, the airplane flipped over when the wheels dug into the ground. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and both wings sustained substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed flight control continuity to all flight control surfaces. The pilot reported that the airplane was operating normally prior to entering IMC conditions..
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to continue flight in instrument meteorological conditions in an airplane not equipped for instrument flight, which forced her to perform a precautionary landing to a muddy field resulting in the airplane nosing over.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN20CA182
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N120MZ
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N120MZ
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-May-2020 04:31 | Geno | Added |
| 16-May-2020 04:33 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 16-May-2020 05:16 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 16-May-2020 09:14 | RobertMB | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2021 07:17 | aaronwk | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Jul-2022 08:15 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation