ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295294
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: | Tuesday 2 September 2003 |
| Time: | 04:45 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20K |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N252AK |
| MSN: | 25-1139 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1987 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2345 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental TSIO-360-MB |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Novato, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Novato Airport, CA (NOT/KDVO) |
| Oakland International Airport, CA (OAK/KOAK) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the initial climb-out the airplane collided with trees off the departure end of the runway. The pilot had filed an instrument Flight Rules flight plan, but decided to fly according to Visual Flight Rules to his destination airport. He indicated that it was still dark outside for the early morning flight. The pilot said that during the initial climb-out he lost visual reference with the ground due to the lack of ground lights and a visible horizon. He activated the autopilot; however, the airplane was not climbing as expected. As he was trying to figure out what the problem was the stall warning activated, he disengaged the autopilot, and attempted to lower the nose. The airplane simultaneously collided with trees. Weather in the accident site at the time of the accident was reported by witnesses to be 1/8-mile visibility with overcast clouds at 100 feet. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. According to the US Naval Observatory, sunrise for the date and location of the accident was at 0541.
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to attempt VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions during the dark early morning takeoff, which resulted in spatial disorientation and lead to a collision with trees off the departure end of the runway.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX03LA276
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 06:46 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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