History of Flight
On January 29, 2011, at an undetermined time, a Mooney M20J, registration N50BJ, impacted terrain near Furnace Creek, California. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The cross-country personal flight departed Furnace Creek between 1430 and 1515 Pacific standard time, with a planned destination of Santa Monica, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
A witness reported that the airplane departed from Furnace Creek Airport (L06) between 1430 and 1515, departing to the south. The witness observed ground operations and the takeoff, which appeared normal. The wreckage was not discovered until January 31, 2011, around 0830 PST by National Park personnel, located 7 miles south of the departure airport.
Personnel Information
The 61-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine land operations and an instrument rating. No personal flight records were located. According to FAA records, the pilot reported on his medical application a total flight time of 2,000 hours, with 20 hours logged in the last 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Mooney M20J, serial number 24-0657. No aircraft or engine logbooks could be located. The mechanic who performed the last annual inspection (completed August 11, 2010) reported a total airframe time of 1,703 hours at that time. The engine was a Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, serial number L-19390-51A, with total time at the last annual inspection of 1,703.0 hours and time since major overhaul estimated at 150.0 hours. The tachometer read 1,712.8 hours at the accident scene.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on a dry salt lake bed with deep jagged salt deposits and crevasses 6 to 18 inches deep. A ground surface scar was the first identified point of contact (FIPC), with remains of the left wing tip navigation light. The debris path was 160 feet in length, along a magnetic heading of 185 degrees. The fuselage orientation was 300 degrees.
The airplane collided with level terrain in a slightly left bank, nose-low attitude. The flaps and landing gear were retracted. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were full forward. The propeller blades exhibited damage signatures consistent with rotational forces at impact. Significant rotational blue paint signatures were observed on the spinner bulkhead.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Inyo County Coroner concluded the autopsy on February 4, 2011, listing the cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed toxicological testing of the pilot's specimens. No findings for carbon monoxide, cyanide, or volatiles were present. The report detected Rosuvastatin in liver and urine.
Tests and Research
Investigators examined the wreckage on June 1, 2011, at Aircraft Recovery Service, Littlerock, California. Examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction or fire. The engine remained attached to the airframe; it had moderate impact energy damage to the forward lower section. Visual examination revealed no evidence of pre-impact catastrophic mechanical malfunction or fire.
Examination of the single-drive dual magneto found it mounted on the accessory pad, easily rotated by hand, with no apparent impact energy damage. Attachment hardware (studs, lock washers, nuts) was in place and undamaged. The magneto was removed for further testing. Proper clamps, gasket, and attachment hardware had been utilized per Lycoming Service Instruction SI-1508B and SAIB NE-08-26R2. The magneto clamps, flange, and accessory case interface areas exhibited fretting wear, most prominent on lower clamps and flange areas. The magneto flange was intact with no cracking. No other abnormalities were noted that would have precluded normal operation.