ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295303
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| Date: | Saturday 30 August 2003 |
| Time: | 19:05 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20C |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N707JH |
| MSN: | 2651 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1963 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360 Series |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Watsonville, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Madera Municipal Airport, CA (MAE/KMAE) |
| Watsonville Airport, CA (WVI/KWVI) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane collided with trees and terrain while the pilot was searching for the airport in instrument metrological conditions (IMC). Prior to departure, the non-instrument rated pilot programmed the flight's intended route into the moving map display of the onboard global positioning system (GPS), as a means to navigate. After passing over mountains located to the east of the airport, the pilot observed the ground to be obscured by fog. The pilot continued further west, maneuvering the airplane over Monterey bay and then circled back to the east toward the airport. While en route, the pilot was searching for the lights on the golf driving range, located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. He was unable to see the lights, and the airplane impacted mountainous terrain, coming to rest in an oak tree. Several minutes before the accident weather reports indicated overcast ceilings of 300 feet above ground level with a visibility of 7 miles.
Probable Cause: the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional continuance of VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX03LA271
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 06:52 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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