Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Quincy, California 95971
Thursday, May 2, 1991 12:33 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT PLANNED A NONSTOP FLT FM WA TO CA, & HE RECD PREFLT WEATHER BRIEFINGS SHOWING GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS. ENROUTE, THE PLT AMENDED HIS ROUTE & LANDED AT KLAMATH FALLS, OR. DURING ROLLOUT THE ACFT NEARLY VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THE PLT TOLD ATC HE NEEDED A REST STOP & HE HAD HAD A FLAP PROBLEM. WITNESSES REPORTED THE PLT LOOKED "NERVOUS, UNDECIDED & BEWILDERED." THE PLT CONTINUED HIS S-BND CIRCLING ROUTE OF FLT WHICH PLACED TEH ACFT OVER THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MTNS AT ELE OVER 7000 FT MSL. 40 MI WEST LAY THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CA, ELE 300 FT MSL. WHILE CRUISING AT 13,000 FT THE PLT REVERSED COURSE & DISAPPEARED FM RADAR. THE ACFT CRASHED INVERTED INTO 4900 FT MSL TERRAIN, ABT 1.5 FM ITS LAST RADAR POSITION. WITNESSES REPORTED IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY & LIGHTNING WAS VISIBLE. THE PLT HAD NOT LOGGED ANY INST FLT TIME IN 19 YRS. HIS TOTAL TIME WAS 88 HRS. HIS TOTAL PIC TIME IN THE ACFT (WHICH HE HAD PURCHASED 3 WKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT) WAS 0.5 HRS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC AND THEREAFTER HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF HIS AIRPLANE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT RELATED TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION WHICH RESULTED IN HIS DELAYED EMERGENCY PROCEDURE, DISORIENTATION AFTER ENTERING CLOUDS AND RAIN, AND TO HIS LACK OF RECENT FLYING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE MODEL OF AIRPLANE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/2/1991
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1233
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City QUINCY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95971
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1661
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45280
Date of most recent change to record Aug 10 2001 4:45AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9624M
NTSB Number LAX91FA190
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20F
Aircraft Series Identifier M20F
Aircraft Serial Number M20F
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAMES I./MICHELE G. JOHNSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 336 3RD ST., SE
Aircraft Owner City EPHRATA
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98823
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JAMES I./MICHELE G. JOHNSON
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 336 3RD ST., SE
Operator City EPHRATA
Operator State WA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 98823
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LMT
Departure City KLAMATH FALLS
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1116
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MOD
Destination City MODESTO
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 10 2001 4:00AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --