History of Flight
On November 25, 2010, at 0628 Pacific standard time, a Mooney M20R, Australian registration VH-PPA, collided with terrain in a plowed field shortly after takeoff from Hollister Municipal Airport (CVH) in Hollister, California. Australian Air Ferry Pty Ltd operated the airplane under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a trans-Pacific ferry flight. The certified airline transport pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Hollister about 0624 with a planned destination of Honolulu International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed.
A witness driving north on a highway about 3 miles west of the airport observed an airplane departing to the west, over the highway, and toward hills. She could not judge the altitude but estimated its position was appropriate relative to the airport. She then lost sight of the airplane. A short time later, she observed a similar airplane flying back toward the airport heading eastbound, with its lights flickering. The nose of the airplane dropped, then leveled off, then dropped again, and the airplane spun to the ground. A second witness reported a similar observation and noted that at no time did the airplane appear to be trailing smoke or vapors.
The flight was the 11-hour-long first leg of an export ferry flight to Australia, to be flown in tandem with a similarly equipped Mooney M20 series airplane. The pilot of the other airplane reported that he departed first and heard the accident pilot report on UNICOM that he was beginning his takeoff roll. He continued west, opening his flight plan with Northern California Approach, but became concerned when he heard no further communications. He returned and later observed the accident airplane in a field west of the airport.
The accident airplane was equipped with a Garmin GPSMap 496 receiver. Historical flight data indicated that the airplane entered runway 31 at 0624:20 and immediately commenced takeoff roll. It accelerated on a heading of 322 degrees true for 36 seconds while remaining at field elevation (230 feet msl). For the next 84 seconds it continued accelerating to a ground speed of about 138 mph, climbing to 915 feet msl, still on runway heading. The airplane then began a left turn to 257 degrees, reaching its maximum altitude of 1,502 feet msl 47 seconds into the turn. Over the next 24 seconds groundspeed increased to 141 mph with a 222-foot decrease in altitude. Over the next 89 seconds the airplane began a left turn with three diverging groundspeed and altitude oscillations between 67 and 144 mph, and 1,383 and 502 feet msl. The last recorded position was at an altitude of 467 feet (300 feet agl) on a heading of 344 degrees.
Personnel Information
A review of FAA airman records revealed the 28-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, commercial certificates for airplane single engine land, single engine sea and glider, and a flight instructor certificate for airplane single and multiengine land and instrument airplane. He held a first-class medical certificate issued in August 2007 with no limitations or waivers. The pilot was an Australian citizen. His flight experience was provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). His last logbook entry was on April 24, 2010, with a total of 2,540.3 flight hours. He had flown seven multi-legged international ferry flights, three on the same initial route. No prior Mooney aircraft experience was noted in the logbooks. He had been a member of the International Aerobatic Club since March 2007 and had flown in multiple aerobatic competitions.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1999 and equipped with its original Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-G6B engine and a McCauley three-blade constant-speed propeller. FAA records indicated the airplane was originally registered as N75FM, then N831RG in January 2006. On October 6, 2010, it was deregistered from the US Civil Aircraft Registry and assigned the Australian registration VH-PPA. The last annual inspection was completed on April 6, 2010, at 576.8 flight hours. The Hobbs meter indicated 612.3 hours at the accident site.
The airplane was equipped with a ferry fuel system based on Auto Avia Design engineering instruction sheet 205/261/EL1. The system included a collapsible bladder tank behind the pilot's seat, storing an additional 115 gallons of fuel, supplementing the wing tanks (89 gallons usable). The bladder tank was to be restrained using 5,000-pound-rated ratcheting straps attached to rear seatbelt attach points and seat rails. Ferry fuel was fed to the left wing tank drain port via transfer pumps. The system was intended as a wing tank top-up only and did not require modifications to fuel routing.
Meteorological Information
An aviation routine weather report (METAR) from Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS) 17 miles southwest of the accident site, issued 25 minutes after the accident, indicated wind from 110 degrees at 6 knots; 10 miles visibility; clear skies; temperature 1°C; dew point minus 3°C; altimeter 30.24 inches of mercury.
Communications
The pilot filed an ICAO flight plan with Prescott Flight Service Station prior to departure, indicating an initial route from Hollister direct to CINNY intersection, located 190 miles at about 257 degrees radially from Hollister. The FAA reported no record of the pilot contacting any facility after filing the flight plan or during the flight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An FAA inspector responded to the accident site. The airplane came to rest in a plowed field 4 miles northwest of the departure end of runway 31. The fuselage remained largely intact on a north heading, with wings and tail section still attached. The fuselage structure and tail section sustained vertical crush damage. The wings and tail cone sustained crush damage on all lower surfaces. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, which had vertical accordion crush damage. Partial cabin contents, including fragments of the ferry bladder tank, were ejected to the right side of the fuselage. All sections were in the immediate vicinity, with no ground scars beyond the airplane's immediate location.
Within the cabin, the pilot's seat-back had bent aft, folding flat. The throttle control was full aft, with mixture and propeller control full forward. The fuel selector valve was set to the left tank position within its detents. The magneto switch key was broken within the switch, which remained set to 'both'.
Medical and Pathological Information
An external postmortem examination was performed at the request of the pilot's family under the auspices of the San Benito Sheriff's Department. The cause of death was reported as "multiple blunt force injuries." Toxicological tests on blood, urine, and vitreous specimens by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Medical Institute revealed no findings for carbon monoxide or cyanide, and were negative for all screened drug substances and ingested alcohol.
Tests and Research
Airframe: The left and right wings remained attached; ailerons remained attached at hinge points. Control tubes sustained crush damage but appeared continuous. Both flaps remained attached and drooped down; they could be manually manipulated. The flap jackscrew was retracted 1.25 inches (8 threads) within the actuator housing; the remaining threaded portion had separated. According to the Mooney representative, this was consistent with a fully retracted flap position. The landing gear was fully retracted; speed brakes were stowed. The tail section remained attached; elevator and rudder push-pull tubes were continuous but fragmented in the forward cabin. All separated control tubes exhibited upward bending damage consistent with impact.
All circuit breakers related to the trim system were closed. The electrical elevator master trim switch was in the 'on' position but had become folded within the crushed panel. The attitude indicator heading bug was set to 240 degrees. The stabilizer trim aft jackscrew had about 14 exposed threads, consistent with a nose-up trim setting. The trim position was corroborated by examination of the stabilizer trim control system assembly; the dimension of the trim stop from forward jam nuts was 0.9 inches, consistent with a nose-up trim setting. The trim assembly chain was intact; no damage to sprockets. No anomalies were noted to the trim system.
Engine: The engine sustained vertical crush damage to the lower oil sump and exhaust stacks. The propeller had separated from the engine at the crankshaft flange; all three blades remained attached, one with 30 degrees aft bending at the root. Fuel system lines had crush damage; no indications of fuel leaks or staining. About 2 teaspoons of fuel drained from the fuel line connecting the injector throttle body to the flow divider. The mixture was full rich at the cabin control and fuel pump; the throttle valve was closed. The propeller control cable was separated at the control linkage arm eye-bolt. The fuel pump contained fluid consistent with aviation gasoline. The fuel flow divider was disassembled; fuel was present; inlet screen free of debris; no water detected. Both magnetos were firmly affixed; spark plugs displayed normal wear; rotation of the crankshaft produced sparks. Cylinders examined with borescope showed gray combustion deposits; valve heads undamaged. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal engine operation.
Ferry Tank System: Examination revealed no bladder tank support straps were installed. The bladder had orange tie-down straps stitched into the material, but these were not attached to the fuselage structure. The aft seat belts were still in place and had not been removed. Examination of bladder fragments showed it was a 238-gallon-capacity air cargo type manufactured by Turtle-Pac. Two 7-foot sections of 1/2-inch plywood were installed across the fuselage from the back of the front seat to the baggage compartment, obscuring access to aft seat belt anchor points. Additional plywood strips and foam padding were along inner fuselage sidewalls. Baggage tie-down straps were located underneath the plywood, obscured from use. The pilot installed the ferry system 2 days prior to the accident. A certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic found the system fit for flight on November 23, 2010. He stated that he observed yellow tie-down straps installed over the bladder at the time of inspection. The pilot of the other Mooney stated that prior to departure, the tank was positioned behind the pilot seat and held in place by sidewalls and luggage.
Fueling records from Gavilan Aviation showed the airplane was serviced with 210 gallons of aviation gasoline at 1730 the night before the accident. The other pilot reported that the wing tanks were emptied during ferry system installation, so the purchased fuel reflected total fuel onboard.
Operating Limitations: Operating instructions allowed a one-time 15% increase in maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) to 3,873 pounds, with center of gravity (CG) between 47.5 and 51.0 inches. The never exceed speed (Vne) varied from 174 knots at standard MTOW (3,368 pounds) to 124 KIAS at 3,873 pounds.
Weight and Balance: A 2004 weight and balance report indicated a basic empty weight of 2,400.4 pounds. No weight and balance sheet for the ferry configuration was located. Approximate loading: forward cabin (pilot, baggage, water, transfer pump) about 285 pounds; aft seat area (bladder fuel tank, plywood, long-range radio, assumed 121 gallons fuel) about 722 pounds; aft baggage area (including seats, plywood, water, baggage, life raft) about 187 pounds, exceeding the maximum allowable 120 pounds. Wing fuel tanks (89 gallons usable) estimated at 534 pounds. Based on these values, takeoff weight was about 4,128.4 pounds, 255.4 pounds above ferry MTOW and 760 pounds above standard MTOW. Extrapolation placed CG at 51.79 inches, 0.79 inches beyond aft CG limit.
Engine Monitor System: The JPI EDM-700 unit was recovered. Data showed it captured exhaust gas and cylinder head temperatures at 490-second intervals. The last recorded flight (#270) had three data points; it could not be determined if from the accident flight. Temperature variances across cylinders for this and last 10 flights were about 100°F and 50°F. The other pilot stated he flew with the accident pilot in VH-PPA to San Diego a few days prior to determine oil consumption; the flight was uneventful and the engine appeared to operate normally.
Autopilot: The airplane had a factory-installed two-axis Bendix/King 150 series autopilot with electric pitch trim and preflight lockout. The prior owner reported that in December 2009, using the heading selector for changes greater than 30 degrees caused the airplane to "violently" pitch up and down at the turn initiation, oscillating with altitude deviations of +/-200-300 feet. He compensated by inputting 10-degree increments. He did not disclose this to a mechanic or the new owner when selling the airplane in March 2010. Maintenance records indicated the attitude indicator was removed for service in March 2010 due to pitch and roll outputs being out of tolerance; it was repaired, recalibrated, and reinstalled. A Honeywell representative noted that the autopilot uses attitude indicator outputs for turn commands, and the oscillations would likely have been caused by the out-of-tolerance condition. The pilot of the second Mooney stated it was policy not to use the autopilot until the airplane was back within normal weight range, typically 4-5 hours after takeoff. The ferry system instructions did not reference autopilot use. Autopilot components were removed and examined; only partial functional tests could be performed due to impact damage. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. During examination, lamp filaments from the KC-191 Flight Computer indicator panel were examined. All except the trim failure warning lamp were intact and upright or broken midspan. The trim failure warning lamp filament was intact but stretched and bent downward relative to the airplane's vertical axis.
Probable Cause
Not stated in source.