On January 10, 2000, a Mooney M20M (registration N2135X) was involved in an aviation accident near Mount Pleasant, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuv ering on a night instrument approach in instrument conditions. This resulted in an inadvertent in-flight loss of control (stall/spin), and subsequent in-flight collision with a swamp. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a night instrument approach in fog, witnesses observed the airplane making steep turns before it disappeared and was heard hitting water and marshy ground. No mechanical failure was found; toxicology revealed the pilot was impaired by drugs.
Accident Sequence
The pilot was cleared for a night instrument approach in instrument conditions. A witness awaiting the pilot at the airport heard the airplane fly overhead toward a residential area but could not see it due to fog. Witnesses in the residential area observed the airplane descend out of the fog, pull up at about a 40-degree angle, and then reenter the fog in a steep left bank with slow airspeed. Subsequently, the airplane was observed descending out of the fog in a 70-degree left bank. An increase in engine power was heard, after which the airplane disappeared from view and was heard to impact water and a marshy area.
Examination Findings
Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical failure or malfunction. Toxicology results indicated that the pilot was impaired due to drugs.