Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Big Pine Key, Florida 33043
Saturday, May 27, 1989 2:28 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT & PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A LATE NIGHT FLT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT APPARENT INCIDENT UNTIL THE ACFT WAS IN AN OVERWATER DESCENT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE DESCENT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 0223 EDT, WHEN THE ACFT WAS APRX 34 MI NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ACFT'S HEADING BEGAN TO CONSTANTLY CHANGE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FLT MANEUVERING IN CLIMBS & DESCENTS OVER A 4 MI AREA. AFTER MANEUVERING ABOUT 4 MIN, CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST, AND SEARCH & RESCUE EFFORTS WERE INITIATED. AT 0655 EDT, AN OIL SLICK WAS FND IN THE VCNTY OF THE ACFT'S LAST KNOWN POSITION. AT ABOUT 0900 EDT, A COAST GUARD SHIP RECOVERED DEBRIS FROM THE ACFT, BUT THE ACFT'S MAIN WRECKAGE & THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT FOUND. THE ACFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED OR DROWNED. THE WX AT KEY WEST WAS IN PART: 1500' SCATTERED, VIS 6 MI WITH HAZE. THE WX AT THE ACDNT SITE WAS NOT VERIFIED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LIGHT CONDITIONS (DARK NIGHT) AND WEATHER (HAZE) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/27/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 228 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | BIG PINE KEY |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33043 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 250 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EYW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 34 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1200 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 900 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 27 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1033 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39015 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3201U |
| NTSB Number | MIA89LA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Unknown |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-0570 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 20 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 1626 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RODRIGUEZ, MILO V.. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1202 17TH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | KEY WEST |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33040 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | FXE |
| Departure City | FORT LAUDERDALE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 150 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | EYW |
| Destination City | KEY WEST |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |