History of Flight
On January 6, 2014, at 0706 eastern standard time, a Mooney M20R airplane, N1046L, collided with trees and terrain about 1 mile east of the Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98), Boyne City, Michigan. The instrument-rated private pilot and the passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact and a post-impact fire. The airplane was registered to Chair Covers Leasing, Inc., and operated by the private pilot as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident for Oakland/Troy Airport (VLL), Troy, Michigan.
The pilot had flown the airplane from VLL to N98 on January 3, 2014. After arrival, the airplane was parked in his hangar and no fuel was added. A family member stated the pilot and passenger intended to return on January 5 but delayed due to weather. The pilot frequently flew this route.
At 0614, the pilot used a commercial flight planning service to obtain weather data and file an IFR flight plan with a proposed departure time of 0715, routing direct to Grayling VOR then VLL, requesting 5,000 feet with an en route time of 51 minutes. The pilot did not receive an IFR clearance.
Witnesses reported hearing the airplane on the airport and during flight. Some described engine sounds as 'choked up' or 'tightened up'; others heard normal sounds. Several noted heavy snow and darkness, seeing only lights. One witness observed a 45-degree descent; another saw the airplane bank 'hard', pitch up and down, and accelerate while descending.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on December 23, 2013, with a limitation for near-vision glasses. At the examination, he reported 1,400 total flight hours, 50 in the previous 6 months. His logbooks were not found. On an insurance application dated August 13, 2013, he reported 1,572 total hours, 1,497 in retractable gear airplanes, 1,272 in Mooney M20R airplanes, and 100 hours in the prior year.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 2001 Mooney M20R, serial number 29-0275, a low-wing, single-engine, retractable-gear aircraft powered by a 310-horsepower Continental IO-550-G6B engine (serial 684928). It received a normal category airworthiness certificate on April 19, 2001, and was purchased by Chair Covers Leasing, Inc. on August 17, 2001. Airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks were not located. An airframe and powerplant mechanic who had worked on the airplane stated it had been about a year since he last worked on it, probably performing an annual inspection. The last known fuel purchase was 63.5 gallons of 100LL on December 8, 2013, at N98.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX), 16 miles northwest: at 0655, wind 340° at 18 knots gusting 27, visibility 2.75 miles light snow, ceiling 1,800 scattered, 2,500 broken, 2,900 overcast; at 0715, visibility 1.25 miles light snow, ceiling 1,400 broken, 2,300 broken, 2,900 overcast. At Gaylord Regional Airport (GLR), 19 miles southeast: at 0653, wind 330° at 7 knots gusting 16, visibility 4 miles light snow, ceiling 3,900 broken, 6,500 overcast; at 0714, wind 330° at 8 knots varying 290-010, visibility 1.75 miles light snow, ceiling 3,400 overcast. At Harbor Springs Airport (MGN), 15 miles north: at 0654, wind 320° at 9 knots gusting 15 varying 290-350, visibility 4 miles light snow, ceiling 1,200 broken, 2,600 broken, 2,600 overcast; at 0715, wind 300° at 10 knots gusting 15 varying 290-350, visibility 5 miles haze, ceiling 1,500 scattered, 3,600 broken, 5,000 overcast.
The pilot received a computerized weather briefing that included local observations, area forecasts, SIGMETs, and AIRMETs. The synopsis called for overcast at 3,000 feet with tops 12,000, visibilities 3-5 miles with light snow showers and mist, and northwest winds gusting to 25 knots. An AIRMET warned of IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities below 3 miles with precipitation, mist, and blowing snow. Witnesses reported heavy snow and occasional white-out conditions; one noted winds of 10-15 mph gusting.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Extreme winter weather delayed the investigative team until January 9, 2014. The wreckage had been moved to a secured hangar at N98 by local authorities. The accident site was 1.07 miles east of runway 09 at N98, at the edge of a heavily wooded valley between two hills with trees 50-80 feet high. A path of broken trees on downsloping terrain led to the snow-covered ground impact area. The heading from initial tree strike to ground impact was 300°, with a descent angle of about 45°. The distance from initial tree strike to main ground impact was about 200 feet.
The fuselage came to rest against a tree near the initial ground impact. The engine was about 100 feet northwest, the propeller about 50 feet northwest, and the right wing between them. Portions of the wreckage were subjected to a post-impact fire. The cockpit and instrument panel were destroyed by impact and fire. The center fuselage below the floor remained attached to the inboard right wing. All structural and flight control tubing sustained impact and fire damage. The aft fuselage separated from the cockpit. The rudder and elevators remained attached. The landing gear jackscrew indicated the gear was in transit.
The right wing separated from the airframe; the inboard section, including the landing gear, remained attached to the lower fuselage and sustained fire damage. Leading edge damage was consistent with tree strikes. The left wing separated into pieces; both wings' fuel caps remained in place. Flight control continuity to the wings could not be established due to damage; continuity to the rudder and elevator was confirmed. The propeller separated from the engine; the spinner was crushed. All three blades showed chordwise scratching, polishing, and varying damage: one blade twisted and bent rearward with a missing tip chunk, another curled aft about 270°, and the third relatively straight with leading-edge damage. The engine sustained impact damage but examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed on the pilot and passenger at Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 7, 2014, attributed the cause of death for both to multiple blunt injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for all substances in the screening profile.